The Kuala Lumpur magistrate's court today heard of the events that unfolded during the police's rescue and reapprehension operation of Brickfields police's alleged escapee G Francis Udayappan with focus on the origins of the rope used in the attempt to pull the missing detainee out of the Klang River.

Magistrate Nazran Mohd Sham - acting as coroner - listened to testimonies, for the second day in a row this week, pertaining to events on April 16. Francis is alleged have escaped by jumping into the river flowing behind the station after being held for two days on suspicion of being involved in petty theft.

In a bid to rescue and subsequently re-apprehend the 24-year-old, Sergeant Hassan Aman - who had then been stationed at Brickfields for less than two years - testified how he grabbed a rope from a kitchen in his superiors' office after being asked to by his fellow officers who were at the river bank.

"After heading out of the office on the first floor (upon hearing shouts of a detainee escaping), I heard Lance Corporal S Karunagaran Nair shouting out for a rope to be thrown down. I turned back, headed to the office kitchen where I knew there was a rope placed under an unused stove...," said the officer.

"I then headed to the ground floor, to the back portion of the station and threw the rope over the fence (to the waiting Karunagaran)".

Far from over

An earlier witness had explained that the rope used in this instance was normally used as a towing line for repossessed and confiscated motorcycles as well as to pull body bags onto police vehicles.

It has also been testified that the rope was used by Lance Corporal Zamrin Zaid in his attempt to pull Francis out of the river. However the gesture was said to have been ignored by the detainee who has yet to be found alive till today.

Francis, who was arrested on April 14, is branded a missing escapee by the police. However his mother, G Sara Lily, has accused police - since she was told of her son's escape - that he was killed by the police and his body dumped in the river.

Today's judicial inquest is a result of a protracted battle between the police and Sara Lily over a highly decomposed body fished out of the Klang River on May 23.

Francis's mother has positively identified the body as that of belonging to her son. However, a police DNA test conducted using her blood sample and a bone-marrow sample from the body has failed to prove a match.

Meanwhile, Sara Lily's lawyer M Puravelan, who is assisting the proceedings , did not have any questions for officer Hassan - who was the second witness today - but had earlier reserved his continued examination of the first witness Sergeant Major Razak Sulaiman.

Written submissions

Puravelan had today yet again failed to obtain copies of all the necessary evidence presented in court, including a recorded police statement by witness Razak, from DPP Ishak Mohd Yusoff ( photo ).

"At this juncture, I do not propose to continue (examining Razak) until my omnibus application (for full evidence disclosure) is considered. By reason of ruling made (by this court) and confirmed by the high court, all evidence is to be given to us," said Puravelan.

Puravelan however, had earlier managed to get Razak to admit that there were relevant information in his police statement - a copy of which is being denied to the lawyer - pertaining to the day's events and subsequent search operations.

The proceedings was adjourned to allow time for written submissions, by the DPP and Puravelan, to be presented to the coroner for consideration of full evidence disclosure.

Sara Lily, who was present in court today, expressed her frustrations with the lengthy procedure and said was devastated that she has not been able to bury her son, whom she believes has been lying in the University Malaya Medical Centre for close to seven months.

The inquest continues on Monday, Dec 20 at 2.30pm.