SHAH ALAM (Bernama): Fifty devotees of the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple and the temple's task force have failed in their bid to be an interested party and participate in the inquest to determine the cause of firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim's death.
Coroner Rofiah Mohamad, in dismissing their applications on Thursday (Jan 31), said there were no real, substantive and reasonable grounds to make then interested parties.
"The court shall not exit the boundaries and perimeters of this inquest proceedings under Section 337 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which is to determine when Muhammad Adib died, where he died, how he died and in what manner he died.
"Based on these, the identity and role of the two parties (devotees and task force) steered away from the terms of reference of this inquest proceeding.
“Both parties have no real, substantive and reasonable grounds for the court to allow them to participate in the inquest proceeding,” she added.
Lawyers M. Visvanathan and Siti Zabedah Kassim, representing the devotees and task force, informed the court that they would file for a review of the decision at the High Court on Friday (Feb 1).
Rofiah, however, allowed an application by the Bar Council to be an interested party in the inquest and told all parties involved in the proceeding not to make any statements to the media.
She had earlier set Feb 11 to 28; March 1, 4 and 5; March 19 until 29 and April 1 to 12 for the inquest proceedings.
Muhammad Adib, 24, of the Subang Jaya Fire and Rescue Station, was severely injured when he arrived in the vicinity of the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in USJ 25, on Nov 27, 2018, to put out a car fire during riots that erupted purportedly over the relocation of the house of worship.
Some people claimed that he was injured in a vehicle accident while others alleged that he was assaulted by several rioters.
He succumbed to his injuries and died at the National Heart Institute last Dec 17. - Bernama
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