Kevin cremated due to condition of body: Brother

KUALA LUMPUR: The late DPP Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais was cremated and not buried because of the high state of decomposition and stench of the body, the High Court was told today.
Datuk Richard Dilaan Morais, 50, a brother of Kevin, said it was the Catholic practice to bury instead of cremate.
It was not possible to bury Kevin because no church would allow a body in a bad condition to be brought into the premises, he said during cross-examination by counsel Datuk N. Sivananthan on the 11th day of the Kevin Morais murder trial.
Six men - G. Gunasekaran, 48, R. Dinishwaran, 24, A. K. Thinesh Kumar, 23, M. Vishwanath, 26, S. Nimalan, 23, and S. Ravi Chandaran, 45 - have been charged with murdering Morais between 7am and 8pm on Sept 4, 2015, between Jalan Dutamas Raya Sentul and No. 1, Jalan USJ1/ 6D, Subang Jaya.
Col Dr R. Kunaseegaran, 53, is charged with abetting the six in the murder.
Asked if no one knew the cause of Kevin's death on Sept 16, 2015, Richard said no one knew at that time because that was when Kevin's body was brought to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for a post mortem.
Richard, the first prosecution witness who was recalled today to testify, also said that the cause of death was made known at a meeting at the Sentul Police Station on Nov 12, 2015, which his brothers David Ramesh Morais and Charles Suresh Morais also attended.
Asked if Kevin's body was brought to a church at any time, Richard said only the ashes were brought to church.
Earlier, when replying to a question from DPP Datuk Abdul Razak Musa during examination-in-chief, Richard said he was the only one who received Kevin's death certificate as he had claimed the body.
He said the death certificate was issued by the National Registration Department at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital on Nov 23 last year, the same day he claimed the body.
He also confirmed that the cause of death stated in both the burial permit and death certificate was probable asphyxiation (suffocation).
The trial before Judge Datuk Azman Abdullah continues on June 6. — Bernama