Police did not record statements of the culprits who was involved in the shootout, lambast lawyer

The legal counsels to the families of three victims who were shot dead in Durian Tunggal, Melaka have lambasted the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) for inadvertently admitting that it did not record statements from the policemen who were involved in the shootout.

“The PDRM’s latest statement is a damning self-indictment,” said Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Singh Sohanpal in a statement.

“By confirming that the only recorded statements are from three family members of the deceased and four medical officers — and none from any police personnel involved — the police have openly admitted that the investigation has so far entirely excluded the shooters.

“This omission is not a technical oversight; it is a structural failure that compromises the integrity of the entire investigative process,” he added.

They said this in response to a press statement by Criminal Investigation Department director Commissioner Datuk M Kumar.

Kumar confirmed that the police recorded statements from three family members of the three victims and four medical officers.

The three victims – Puspanathan Murulitharan, 21; Poonesvaran Tiagarajan, 24; and Logeswaran Georgie, 29 – were killed on November 24

He also confirmed that the original recording and a voice sample of one family member who spoke to the victim had been taken for an analysis to be conducted by Cyber Security Malaysia.

Rajesh and Sachpreetraj also stressed that it is utmost vital to have record the statements of the policemen who shot the victims.

“In any lawful use-of-force investigation, the first and most critical step is to record statements from the officers who discharged their weapons. The refusal or failure to do so nearly two weeks after the incident raises serious concerns of evidence contamination, narrative coordination, institutional bias and systemic obstruction of justice.”

The legal duo also put forth the following non-negotiable demands

a) Immediate, compulsory recording of statements from all officers involved.

b) Public disclosure of the chain of command and operational justification.

c) Independent oversight by external bodies to prevent institutional whitewashing.

“Until these minimum standards are met, this investigation cannot be considered credible, legitimate, or lawful,” they said.

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