Cops ordered to give businessman documents on daughter’s death in UUM

October 3, 2023

Cops ordered to give businessman documents on daughter’s death in UUM

PETALING JAYA: The Alor Setar High Court has ordered the police to provide key documents to the father of a former undergraduate, S Vinosiny, who reportedly died from electrocution in a hostel at Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) in Sintok, Kedah, last year.

Justice Mahazan Mat Taib said the documents, including exhibits, must be handed over to businessman R Sivakumar within 14 days of the order.

However, the judge, who delivered the decision on Sunday after hearing submissions from the parties, did not order costs.

Senior federal counsel Aliza Jamaluddin submitted that earlier applications were turned down as the father was on a “fishing expedition”.

She said the documents were also classified under the Official Secrets Act.

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Lawyer M Manoharan, who represented Sivakumar, said the documents were needed for the father to file a negligence suit against the relevant parties.

Following the death of Vinosiny last year, Sivakumar had sought to obtain the police report, post-mortem and chemist reports, as well as photographs taken in relation to police investigations.

He had also asked for all the documents tendered before the coroner when an inquest was held.

Sivakumar, as administrator of Vinosiny’s estate, filed for pre-action discovery under Order 24 of the Rules of Court 2012 in June.

He had named investigating officer Saiful Hasnol Saleh Hudin, the inspector-general of police, and the government as respondents to the action.

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His action came as the Alor Setar sessions court, the Kedah deputy public prosecutors’ office, and the attorney-general’s chambers declined to assist him in obtaining the documents.

Manoharan said Sivakumar had received a letter from the Alor Setar sessions court dated Feb 1 regarding the cause of her death.

The letter stated that Vinosiny died as a result of “an accident caused by electrocution”, adding that this conclusion was made after the case was referred to the coroner’s court.

Manoharan claimed that the family was not informed about the inquest into Vinosiny’s death.

Vinosiny was found dead on May 21 last year. Her father had accused the university of negligence.

He filed a police report against UUM on May 27, calling for an investigation into whether the university had properly maintained its buildings.

UUM vice-chancellor Haim Hilman Abdullah had then said maintenance work at the campus in Kedah had been carried out according to procedure and schedule.