Soosaimanicckam’s family lodges police report following court’s ‘homicide’ ruling

PETALING JAYA: The family of naval cadet officer J. Soosaimanicckam, who died while on training in 2018, has called for police investigation into their son’s case.

Soosaimanicckam’s father, S. Joseph, filed a report at the Petaling Jaya police station, following an Ipoh High Court ruling on July 29, which set aside the coroner’s open verdict and revised it to homicide.

In his report lodged on Thursday (Aug 1), Joseph said the court had also ruled that the death was due to the action of several officers in the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN).

Soosaimanicckam’s brother Charles Joseph said his 27-year-old brother’s death was unacceptable and investigation papers must be opened to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

“The family wants this tragedy to be investigated as the court has ruled that there could be criminal intent,” said Charles.

Lawyer Zaid Malek, who accompanied the family, said the police report was made following the High Court ruling that Soosaimanicckam’s untimely death was a direct consequence of RMN officers in charge of cadet training in not allowing the deceased to seek medical treatment.

“Thus, there was some criminal intent involved in the death,” he added.

Soosaimanicckam, a graduate cadet officer, was pronounced dead at the Armed Forces Hospital in Lumut on May 19, 2018.

The victim’s family filed a lawsuit on May 19, 2021, alleging the defendants’ negligence in failing to provide emergency treatment when the victim collapsed on the day of the incident and in failing to monitor his well-being and health during training sessions.

Last year, the Ipoh Coroner’s Court delivered an open verdict during the inquest into the cadet officer’s death to ascertain the cause.

Coroner Ainul Shahrin Mohamad determined that the cause of Soosaimanicckam’s death, which occurred during cadet training at KD Sultan Idris, was pulmonary oedema.

On Monday (July 29), the Ipoh High Court set aside the coroner’s open verdict and revised it to homicide.