The inquest into the mysterious death of drama actress K Sujatha came to a close today with investigating officer ASP Zulkifeli Pajar taking the dock.

Questioned by DPP Geethan Ram Vincent, Zulkifeli said he did not suspect any foul play while investigating Sujatha's death from the onset.

manikavasagam police arrest court sujatha 250609 He said that investigations led him to conclude that the deceased died after consuming paraquat and that no other individuals were involved.

Asked why he thought Sujatha would consume the poison, used primarily as a commercial weed killer, Zulkifeli replied that he did not know.

Zulkifeli is the 23rd and last witness to be called, in what was supposed to be a three-day inquiry which commenced in February.

Coroner Mohd Faizi Che Abu has set Aug 25 for clarification proceedings and is also expected to deliver his verdict.

Politically publicised death

Sujatha was pronounced dead on June 25, 2007 after being admitted for four days at a hospital in Klang, setting in motion a chain of events involving muddy politics resulting in a scrutiny of the police force.

manikavasagam lodge report sujatha kumaran kapar 211108 Her death went unnoticed until a month later, when PKR politician and now Kapar MP S Manikavasagam (left) claimed that there was an element of criminality involved, based on an anonymous letter he had received.

Based on the allegations in the letter, Manikavasagam lodged numerous police reports and is now facing a RM10 million defamation suit by then Sentul district police chief K Kumaran.

Manikavasagam had said that what raised suspicions was why had Sujatha's former employer and MIC Youth advisor S Vell Paari taken the deceased to a hospital in Klang when she could have sought medical attention closer to her home in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur.

At the hospital, Sujatha was treated by Dr SP Sakthivelloo who is Vell Paari's cousin.

Vell Paari was later questioned for several hours by the police and became a key witness at the inquest.

Vell Paari forced to tell all

During the inquest, Vell Paari denied he had had any romantic links with Sujatha but admitted spending lavishly on the woman and her family.

He revealed that he had paid RM200,000 in cash for Sujatha's condominium unit in Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and was also the guarantor for a loan to buy a Mazda RX8 sports car.

velpari sujatha murder case 160309 03 Vell Paari (photo, left) also said he had financed Sujatha's medical treatments in India and had accompanied her to the country twice.

He also said he had taken Sujatha and her family to Perth, Australia in the past.

Manikavasagam, who was pushing for an inquest and action against Sujatha's alleged murderers, had the tables turned on him yesterday when he was called in as a witness.

Vell Paari's counsel, veteran criminal lawyer K Kumaraendran had a field day attacking Manikavasagam's credibility during cross-examination.

The inquest, had among other things, revealed the hospital's failure to conduct an autopsy as requested by the police and that blood and urine samples from the deceased went missing .