KUGAN – A SYMBOL OF POLICE BRUTALITY

I had in some earlier articles mentioned the name Kugan; a 23 year old Indian boy who was found dead in police custody some three years ago in the Taipan police station, Subang Jaya. The name is now a symbol of police brutality that is commonly associated with dictatorial regimes. I am glad that the case is once again brought to public notice by the lawyers representing Kugan’s family members who has sought that justice be brought against those responsible for Kugan’s death. Having seen photos of Kugan’s dead body, I am very certain that he did not die a natural death as the police had alleged; rather Kugan had died a violent death of beatings and torture, all in the hands of the police. Surely Kugan did not beat himself to death; just like the Anwar’s black eye incident where the IGP then had said that the black eye was self inflicted; only to know later that the IGP was a blatant liar.

Till this day, I cannot understand nor could I accept the lies perpetrated by those that had caused the death of Kugan; directly or otherwise. Everyone, from the police to the doctors that had examined the body of Kugan had lied through and through, without any sense of guilt and fear that they all will be answerable and questioned in their graves. Yes, they may escape the wrath of the law now because of the power they yield, but one has to believe that God’s punishment in the hereafter is most severe. As I have said before, those who had caused Kugan’s death and the death of the hundreds more in police custody can have their freedom today, but their guilt cannot escape them. With blood in their hands, it will linger in their minds and hearts till they finally face the Creator.

As the lawyer of the family of Kugan had said that this is the most heinous crime committed by the police upon a yet to be proven offender, but the police finds it irrelevant to take up the case to prosecute the murders despite the knowledge that a grievous crime had occurred under their charge. Till this day, not a single person has been charge and the case remained unheard; safe in the vaults of the Taipan police station. For all we know, all the files may have gone missing.

I can now appreciate and understand the reason why retired senior police officer Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim is so vehemently passionate and persistent to bring to justice the abuses, fabrication and misconduct by AG Gani Patail and former IGP Musa Hassan, particularly in the case involving Anwar Ibrahim black eye incident of 1998. Despite the evidences detailed out by Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim in several revelations against the two to the media, nothing has been done, let alone be acted upon by the relevant authorities in the government. The silence is indeed deafening, but this is the sorry state of affairs of the nation today where the powerful rules as it wishes and they do absolutely no wrong. It is only the weak and meek that get to answer for the slightest mistakes made. And as Anwar Ibrahim would say, “a policeman that takes RM50 from someone is called corruption, but for the well connected, taking RM500 million is called commission”. I do not believe that under the present regime, Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim’s lone voice of reason will ever be heard. There is too much at stake and if all the allegations are to be heard, then those in power today and the past would have a lot to answer.

Finally, let’s hope that Kugan’s family gets the justice that they so deserve. Likewise, the hundreds more that had mysteriously died in police custody. The same can also be said of the death of Teoh Beng Hock and Ahmad Sharbani whose cause of death too remains a mystery that makes a good Bollywood movie. And how many more mysterious deaths will continue occur in the hands of the authorities before we Malaysians can finally be assured that justice has no bounds and limits – rather justice is equal for all.

CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION