New twist in feud over Kevin’s remains

(The Star) – The feud over the remains of murdered DPP Anthony Kevin Morais has taken a new twist with two of his brothers claiming that the body has been secretly cremated.

Charles Suresh, 51, and David Ramesh, 51, who wanted a second autopsy conducted on the body, hit out at their youngest brother Datuk Richard for claiming the remains at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital mortuary on Monday.

Saying they did not know for sure what had happened to Kevin’s remains, they said they had a strong feeling it had been cremated.

Richard, 49, a piano seller, had claimed the body on the same day that Charles filed a court application for a second autopsy.

Charles and David hit out at Richard’s actions.

“I am contemplating legal action against Richard. He has violated the trust of the family,” Charles, a businessman, said.

Charles signed a statutory declaration yesterday, claiming that Richard had been estranged from Kevin for about 15 years.

He said he found it strange that Richard was behaving as if he had been very close to Kevin.

Among other matters, Charles accused Richard of conspiring with unknown persons to cremate Kevin’s remains before a second autopsy could be conducted, adding that he believed this was done to destroy new evidence from emerging.

“I firmly believe that Richard has been approached by persons interested in covering up the murder of my brother Kevin.”

David said he believed there was an ulterior motive.

He said he was contacted by someone several days before the body was claimed, adding that the person had asked him to join Richard in claiming the body.

“I said no. I replied that this was a Morais family issue.

“If Richard wanted to collect the body, it has to be a unanimous decision among the three brothers.

“He acted on his own accord and he is in for a backlash,’’ he added.

Richard declined to comment on what had happened to Kevin’s remains, except to say he would be accepting a posthumous Datukship on behalf of his brother from the Sultan of Perak tomorrow.

Kevin went missing on Sept 4 after leaving his home in Menara Duta for work in Putrajaya.

He was abducted by several men following a minor accident along Jalan Dutamas.

A DNA test on a body found in a cemented oil drum dumped in a swamp in Subang Jaya on Sept 16 identified the remains as that of Kevin’s.

Army pathologist Kol Dr R. Kunaseegaran and seven others have been charged with the abduction and murder of the DPP.