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It has the breathtaking script of a romantic-thriller and even the inquest into the much speculated upon death of local drama actress K. Sujatha opens on the eve of Valentine’s Day.

The inquest, beginning on Feb 13 at a magistrate’s court in Kuala Lumpur, is expected to hear testimonies from the First Family of Indian politics – MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, his wife Datin Seri Indrani, their only son Vell Paari, and his wife, popular singer Shaila Nair.

Flaming details are likely to emerge.

The inquest will determine:

• if Sujatha was murdered or had committed suicide by drinking weed killer two years ago, aged 29.

• why she was rushed from a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang where she died, some 30km away, instead of Hospital Kuala Lumpur.

• why a postmortem was not conducted before her body was cremated.

• if she had indeed revealed on her deathbed what had actually taken place at her apartment.

Sujatha had worked as a personal secretary to Vell Paari, 44, in his capacity as chief executive officer of the party’s careworn investment arm, Maika Holdings. He is also MIC Youth adviser.

Vell Paari has denied any involvement with Sujatha. He was quizzed at length by a special Bukit Aman team that took over the investigation from Sentul police.

Opposition Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam’s testimony will be much anticipated.

He said yesterday: “It’s finally here, two years after Sujatha’s death. Now we will know how she died.”

Manickavasagam fronted a crusade to get the authorities to probe deeper into Sujatha’s death. While the police had classified the case as sudden death, he had lodged several police reports alleging foul play.

He had also accused then Sentul police chief K. Kumaran of covering up the case due to his alleged strong ties with Vell Paari and other MIC leaders.

Kumaran later filed a defamation suit against Manickavasagam. Some MIC bigwigs will also be called to testify at the inquest that will also see depositions from hospital authorities, Sujatha’s friends, relatives and colleagues.

The Bar Council will also monitor the inquest.

• Former personal secretary to Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu’s son, Vell Paari.

• Died at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang three days after she was admitted on June 25 last year. She was believed to have swallowed weed killer in her condominium in Jalan Ipoh.

• Police had classified the case as sudden death.

• She reportedly maintained a luxurious lifestyle which included a luxury car and luxury condominium.

• She was a singer who had acted in several Tamil dramas, movies and commercials. Her last acting stint was in Noorhalizah.

• Said to have had connections with MIC top guns.

Her death had received prominent coverage in the Tamil dailies, some of which had also carried stories regularly — mainly on the front pages — calling on the police to investigate her death.

Her case thrust Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam, a PKR leader, into the public eye.

The inquest into actress K. Sujatha’s death is likely to be politically caustic to both Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu and his only son, Vell Paari.

It could hurt Vell Paari’s budding political career and put his embattled father, already stacked with problems to defend his presidency and the ongoing MIED scandal, under more strain.

The son may be a late bloomer in politics but he is keen to make a quick impact as his father’s departure from the political stage is at hand.

The opposition had fiercely exploited Sujatha’s death in the last general election, causing Samy Vellu and the MIC to be scathed.

The inquest could not have come at a worst time for Samy Vellu who is in a political quagmire, the latest being the financial woes of the MIC-run AIMST University and the disciplinary inquiry against his challenger for the top post, Datuk M. Muthu Palaniappan — all of which could expedite an end to his reign.

source: Malay Mail