Kugan Ananthan (died 20 January 2009) was a

Royal Malaysian Police The Royal Malaysia Police (often abbreviated RMP) (; Jawi: ), is a (primarily) uniformed national and federal police force in Malaysia. The force is a centralised organisation, and its headquarters are located at Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur. The ...

detainee who died in a police lock-up while under arrest for suspicion of alleged car robbery. Kugan's family forcefully broke into the morgue where Kugan's body was kept (for which they were later scolded by then Home Minister and IGP of Malaysia) and stated they believe he had been tortured to death while in police custody. His case was later classified as

murder Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification (jurisprudence), justification or valid excuse (legal), excuse committed with the necessary Intention (criminal law), intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisd ...

by the

Attorney-General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

, and 11 officers at the station where he died were transferred to desk duty. The

Inspector-General of Police An inspector-general of police is a senior police officer in the police force or police service of several nations. The rank usually refers to the head of a large regional command within a police service, and in many countries refers to the most ...

has promised a full investigation into Kugan's death. An initial

autopsy An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of deat ...

declared the cause of death to be

acute pulmonary edema Pulmonary edema (British English: oedema), also known as pulmonary congestion, is excessive fluid accumulation in the tissue or air spaces (usually alveoli) of the lungs. This leads to impaired gas exchange, most often leading to shortness ...

(fluid accumulation in the

lungs The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in many animals, including humans. In mammals and most other tetrapods, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart. Their function in the respiratory syste ...

), but Kugan's family alleged scratches and other bruises on the corpse were proof he had been tortured. A second autopsy was later held. This second autopsy found the cause of death to be

rhabdomyolysis Rhabdomyolysis (shortened as rhabdo) is a condition in which damaged skeletal muscle breaks down rapidly. Symptoms may include muscle pains, weakness, vomiting, and confusion. There may be tea-colored urine or an irregular heartbeat. Some o ...

—skeletal muscle damage resulting in

acute kidney failure Acute may refer to: Language * Acute accent, a diacritic used in many modern written languages * Acute (phonetic), a perceptual classification Science and mathematics * Acute angle ** Acute triangle ** Acute, a leaf shape in the glossary of leaf m ...

. Health Ministry director-general Tan Sri Ismail Merican later released a report on the differences between the two autopsies. The report, based on the findings of a 10-person committee, suggested that although Kugan had been beaten, probably with a flexible blunt object such as a

hose A hose is a flexible hollow tube or pipe designed to carry fluids from one location to another, often from a faucet or hydrant. Early hoses were made of leather, although modern hoses are typically made of rubber, canvas, and helically wound w ...

, the trauma was insufficient to cause death. The report also dismissed other discrepancies in the two autopsy reports, attributing them to miscommunication and misinterpretation on the part of the pathologist who performed the second autopsy. The High Court found Inspector-General of Police (then the Selangor police chief) Khalid Abu Bakar, Khalid's predecessor as national police chief, Ismail Omar, and three other defendants liable for misfeasance leading to his death after finding contradictions between Khalid's and other witnesses' testimonies. The High Court awarded his mother RM851,700 in assault and battery, false imprisonment, misfeasance, and pain and suffering damages.

References

See also