Father of student who died from electrocution sues UUM

The father of S Vinosiny has turned to the civil court to seek RM3.05 million in damages from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) over the accounting student’s death due to electrocution.

R Sivakumar filed the negligence lawsuit at the Alor Setar High Court on Feb 28 over the 2022 incident when his 20-year-old daughter died from an electric shock in her hostel room.

According to a copy of the statement of claim, the aggrieved 54-year-old plaintiff is seeking RM1 million in general damages, RM1 million in aggravated damages, RM1 million in exemplary damages, and RM50,000 in special damages.

He claimed that UUM breached its duty of care to ensure Vinosiny’s safety from electrocution while using the hostel room.

The plaintiff claimed that the public university failed to replace or repair the electrical wall lamp or other defective appliances or take any reasonable steps to render the appliances safe.

Sivakumar alleged that UUM failed to give his daughter any adequate warning of the dangerous condition of the electrical wall lamp or other appliances in the hostel room.

Besides the financial compensation, the plaintiff also seeks five percent interest on any sum awarded from the date of judgment to the date of realisation, costs, and any other relief deemed fit by the civil court.

When contacted, the family’s counsel M Manoharan confirmed the filing of the civil action.

In May 2022, it was reported that Vinosiny, who was enrolled at UUM in Sintok, Kedah, was suspected of having died from an electric shock in her hostel room.

The deceased, who was in the fourth semester of her accounting and information system studies, returned to campus a week before the tragedy.

In February last year, the Coroner’s Court ruled that Vinosiny died from electrocution.

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