©The Rakyat Post (Used by permission)
SEREMBAN, Jan 29, 2015:
The Malaysian Medical Council was taken to task over an erroneous report by a forensic pathologist on P. Karuna Nithi’s death in police custody.
The Seremban Coroner’s Court yesterday rejected the pathologist’s post–mortem report after discovering shortcomings in her testimony.
It ruled that the 42–year–old died in police custody due to several factors, including being beaten up by police and inmates.
Co–counsel for Karuna Nithi’s family, Dr Dheeraj Bhar, told reporters after the court’s ruling today that it was obvious that there was “a certain amount of bias–ness in her report”.
Describing her as possessing “faulty knowledge”, the former medical doctor–turned–lawyer said coroner Datuk Jagjit Singh Bant Singh had declined to buy the pathology’s testimony that Karuna Nithi died due to a fatty liver, with clear evidence that he was assaulted by police and lock–up inmates. This was via closed circuit TV (CCTV) recordings.
“The forensics speak for the dead through their investigations. She clearly did not do so.”
Dr Dheeraj said that Sharifah needed to improve her knowledge, with the MMC making a point to conduct an inquiry and proceed with disciplinary proceedings.
Adding that her questionable knowledge was not up to a par to head the state, Dr Dheeraj also slammed the pathologist for concluding that the haemorrhage Karuna Nithi sustained on his chest was due to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
He wondered how the conclusion came about as no CPR was conducted, based on the inquest, except for traces of gel found on the deceased’s chest.
Dr Dheeraj said the pathologist’s lack of independence was also a serious cause of concern for the public at large.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Bar Council is in the process of proposing to the Attorney–General’s Chambers (AGC) to make it mandatory for its members to hold watching brief in all cases of death in custody when the Coroner’s Bill is proposed to be passed in Parliament soon, Negeri Sembilan Bar chairman Puspanathan Sellam said.
“Unfortunately, the punishment for the culprits causing such deaths is not severe enough or viewed with seriousness by the authorities concerned.”
He added that the punishment had to be reviewed and revised to sustain public trust in the system.
Karuna Nithi died on June 1, 2013 in a police lock–up in Tampin after his arrest on May 29. This was following an altercation with his wife.