The coroner in the inquest into the death of actress K Sujatha has today rejected a request by S Manickavasagam’s lawyers to participate in the cross-examination of witnesses.

This has resulted in the lawyers facing an uphill battle in their bid to lend credence to the parliamentarian's allegations that there was foul play behind Sujatha’s death.

manikavasagam lodge report sujatha kumaran kapar 211108 Surendran, counsel for Manickavasagam ( pic ), said their participation in the cross-examination of the witnesses is a key factor to the inquest in order to determine as to whether there was foul play behind Sujatha’s death.

Surendran explained that because Manickavasagam has been the person who make the allegations that there was foul play behind the matter, it was important that the lawyers be given the opportunity to lend credence to the allegations made.

This can only be made possible if the lawyers are granted permission to cross-examine witnesses, which among others, include key witnesses implicated in the allegations, such as MIC politician Vell Paari, the son of party boss S Samy Vellu.

k sujatha mysterious death quick fact 170309 “It was due to Manickavasagam’s persistent pressuring through lodging several police reports that the inquest was made possible.

“He (Manickavasagam) can also face charges by the police because of the allegations that he had made and therefore he has significant interest in this inquest. It would only be right that the court grant us the right to participate,” Surendran added.

Coroner Mohd Fauzi Che Abu, however, argued that Manickavasagam in lodging several police reports on the matter does not qualify his lawyers to participate in the proceedings.

Baffled by the objections

He however granted them the right to conduct a watching brief and to ask questions as long as it is limited to Manickavasagam alone.

Meanwhile, Manickavasagam’s lawyers said they were surprised that the objections to their request were made not only by the prosecutor, but also the counsel representing the deceased’s family.

Second counsel to Manickavasagam, Teluk Intan parliamentarian M Manogaran said he was baffled by the objections made by Sujatha’s family lawyer and suggested that “something was wrong”.

“Something is not right here. Don’t the family of the deceased want to know what really happened to their daughter? Is there complicity here?” he told reporters outside the court.

Today is the second day of the inquest where key witness Vel Paari will be called in to testify again.

Also expected to take the stand today is Manickavasagam who claimed that Vell Paari is connected to Sujatha’s death.