Corrected on 28 Jan 2009 at 6.10pm
Updated on 28 Jan 2009 at 7.00pm
Demonstrator’s tshirt slogan demanding justice, outside UMMC
PUCHONG JAYA: 28 Jan 2009: A Kugan’s body was lowered into the ground at a Puchong cemetery today at 5.25pm, surrounded by about 500 mourners despite an earlier downpour.
“One of the reasons he was buried instead of cremated was just in case anything comes up from the post-mortem, at least the body is still available,” Police Watch and Human Rights Committee head S Jayathas said.
Kugan’s funeral procession had earlier arrived at Taman Industri Pusat Bandar Puchong at 4.15pm and mourners had set off on foot to the Puchong Batu 14 cemetery.
During the procession, hundreds of motorcyclists tooted their horns and shouted “Polis pembunuh!” as they escorted Kugan’s cortege.
DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) leaders including Gobind Singh, R Sivarasa, S Manikavasagam and Shamsul Iskandar led the march from the back of a pickup truck. The crowd shouted, “We want justice!” and “Makkal sakti!”
Demonstrators outside the USJ 8 police station
Earlier, Kugan’s body was brought to the (corrected) USJ 8 police station at 3.15pm accompanied by a large convoy of honking motorcycles. Prayers were conducted at the station, where Kugan died in police custody, before his body was brought to Puchong.
Police outside UMMC
About 20 FRU personnel were on standby at the police station.
Kugan’s body left the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) mortuary at about 2pm. About 300 people walked along Jalan Universiti in the funeral procession.
Earlier, police road blocks around UMMC caused traffic jams. A police helicopter was also deployed to hover over the area.
Despite a minor scuffle between FRU and some media photographers, police said they would allow five people at a time to view Kugan’s body in the mortuary. However, Gobind later said this was abruptly disallowed on police orders. About 50 FRU were on standby.
Outside, demonstrators yelled “Polis pembunuh”, “Kita bukan lembu” and “Hindraf” before being dispersed by the police from the car park. Gobind, the DAP Member of Parliament (MP) for Puchong and a lawyer, told a press conference in Puchong later that police arrested six people at the UMMC mortuary. They were being held at the Brickfields police station.
Teresa Kok at the demonstration
Several Pakatan Rakyat leaders were also present at the mortuary. Among them were DAP MPs Teresa Kok and Gobind, Parti Keadilan Rakyat MPs Manikavasagam and Loh Gwo Burne, and Parti Sosialis Malaysia state assemblyperson Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim.
Gobind, Loh, Penang deputy chief minister Prof Dr P Ramasamy and Hindu Sangam president Datuk A Vaithilingam were also at the USJ 8 police station.
PAS MP for Kuala Selangor, Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, who was also at the police station, said he would raise Kugan’s death in police custody at the upcoming parliamentary session.
The cortege leaving UMMC
Kugan, 22, who was arrested on 15 Jan on suspicion of being involved in the theft of luxury cars, died while in police custody at 11am on 20 Jan.
The family claimed that there were injuries on Kugan’s body despite the autopsy report stating that the death was due to fluid accumulation in the lungs.
More demonstrators outside UMMC, chanting slogans
A second autopsy was, however, conducted after Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail classified Kugan’s death as murder. The report is expected to be ready today.
Police are also expected to file their investigation papers on the case with the AG’s chambers by this week. 
See also: Kugan’s final journey
hari nair says
Words just don’t seem enough or befitting the utter repulse that I personally have for the authorities in this sad moment.
Truly this young lad, irrespective of whether he committed the crime should have been treated in a more humane manner rather than attacked in ways that led to his untimely death.
Your journey ends, Kugan, but in your last gasps of life you have indeed given many the breath of freedom, honour and bravery to carry on a crusade against the horrors of an establishment with nothing to show but continuous barbaric treatment of its citizens.
devi says
Let this be an awakening call for all of the nation, of all races. We must all come together and truly fight for justice.The murderers must be hanged to death or life sentence must be given with no mercy — a lesson for all to be more cautious in dealing with such unlawful acts of barbarity. Let’s unite and be as one big Malaysian family fighting for justice , protect and help the needy ones and guide the lost ones.