Attempt to send petition fails

KUALA LUMPUR: A. Kugan’s mother failed to hand over a petition to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, asking him to intervene in the matter of her son’s death while under police custody.

Palace officials told N. Indra, 42, who turned up with her lawyer and a group of supporters at the main entrance to Istana Negara at about 11.30am yesterday, that no appointment had been made to hand over the petition.

A palace official said no order had also been given for them to receive the petition.

Indra’s lawyer N. Surendran said her family had expressed unhappiness that only one policeman had been charged so far with causing hurt. “Even the pathologist’s report stated that Kugan was beaten to death. Why do they not charge anyone with murder?” he said.

He said Kugan’s family was forced to plead with the King after failing to “get justice” from the authorities.

Kugan, 22, was arrested on Jan 15 last year on suspicion of being involved in car theft but was found dead the day after.

Subsequently, on Oct 1, constable V. Navin­dran, 28, from the USJ police station, was charged with causing grievous hurt to Kugan.