Lawyer says Malacca police chief’s comments on victim’s partner are irrelevant as Bukit Aman investigates the Durian Tunggal shooting.
PETALING JAYA: Remarks by Malacca police chief Datuk Dzulkhairi Mukhtar on the personal background of one of the victim’s partner in the Durian Tunggal shooting incident are irrelevant, as the case is now being investigated by Bukit Aman, said lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan.
Rajesh, referring to the case in which three individuals were shot dead by police last month, told theSun that during an event, Dzulkhairi had claimed the woman was not legally married to the deceased and that she had criminal records.
“Whether or not they were legally married is completely irrelevant. It has nothing to do with the shooting and killing of three individuals by police,” Rajesh said via a phone call yesterday.
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He also questioned why Dzulkhairi issued public statements when the case has been taken over by Bukit Aman.
“The investigation is now being handled at the federal level. In that context, it raises questions as to why further public comments are still being made at the state level.
“Any public statements should come from the investigating authority to avoid confusion, particularly when the allegations relate to officers from the same contingent,” he said.
Asked if the families had evidence to dispute the claims made by Dzulkhairi, Rajesh said he had not yet received instructions from his clients on the matter.
“Our position is that those matters are not relevant to the investigation into the shooting itself, and should not detract from examining the actions of the police officers involved,” he said.
Dzulkhairi made the remarks after officiating at the Legasi 04 RXZ X 125 ZR Malacca Attack 2025 event in Ayer Keroh on Friday.
He said a 31-year-old woman who claimed to be the wife of one of the men shot dead was not legally married to the deceased, but had been living with him for three years.
Dzulkhairi also said the woman had 10 criminal records dating back to 2012, and that her 55-year-old father had 24 criminal records and was still wanted by police.
He also said Malacca police are no longer involved in the shooting case as it is being investigated by a special unit under Bukit Aman.
Dzulkhairi added that separate criminal cases involving the woman’s father remain under Malacca police jurisdiction.
The three men killed in the Nov 24 incident were identified as T. Pooneswaran, 24, M. Puspanathan, 21 and G. Logeswaran, 29.
Police previously said one of the men had 39 criminal and drug-related records, while another had 12, and the trio were linked to the Geng Durian Tunggal, responsible for armed robberies that caused losses amounting to RM1.35 million.
The families have disputed the police account of the shooting incident, citing digital evidence that include phone records and an audio recording allegedly captured during the incident.
The recording was submitted to Bukit Aman on Dec 7 and received by Classified Crime Investigation Unit head Supt Ta Kah Loon for further investigations.
