The inquest into the death of a Kelantan palace guard, Ramli Mohamad, ended today with an open verdict.

Coroner Raja Norshuzianna Shakila Raja Mamat ruled that there were insufficient evidence to implicate any individual in the incident.

"It's an open verdict; this happens when the evidence available are not sufficient to warrant any other verdict," she said.

She added that throughout the inquest, which started on Jan 10, there were no evidence adduced from the witnesses to show that they had seen the shooting, which fatally injured Ramli.

"There were no evidence to show who the perpetrator was," she said, adding that forensic expert Datuk Dr Zahari Noor had confirmed that Ramli died of "multi organ failure with septicaemia and right lung injury due to gun shot."

Ramli was shot in Palekbang, Tumpat in the early morning of May 1 last year. He died at the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital, in Kota Baharu, 18 days later.

Raja Norshuzianna Shakila was assisted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Abdul Razak Wan Hussein.

Thirty-eight witnesses were called during the nine-day proceedings.

One of Ramli's sons, Muhammad Faris, 20, said his family accepted the verdict.

He was there with his mother Maznah Mustapa, 51, and sister Nurain Balkis, 24.

- Bernama