Temple Task Force withdraws appeal

PUTRAJAYA: Save Seafield Mariamman Temple Task Force yesterday withdrew its appeal at the Court of Appeal against the Coroner's Court's dismissal of its application to hold a watching brief at the inquest of firefighter Muhammad Adib Mohd Kassim who died from injuries sustained during a riot at the temple in November last year.

The temple task force also withdrew its bid for a stay of the inquest pending disposal of its appeal.

Meanwhile, the AttorneyGeneral Chambers (AGC) withdrew its application to strike out the temple task force's appeal.

Lawyer M.Visvanathan, representing the task force, said he informed the court that his client was withdrawing their applications based on the affidavit filed by the AGC on April 3 this year.

He said the affidavit affirmed by deputy public prosecutor Hamdan Hamzah stated that Adib's death was not due to beatings by any person.

Visvanathan said the affidavit also stated that the forensic pathologist had testified in the inquest proceeding that the injuries sustained by Muhammad Adib, which led to his death, was not injuries due to beating.

"My client is satisified with the content in paragraph 5 and 6 in the affidavit affirmed by deputy public prosecutor Hamdan Hamzah and we confirmed this by our affidavit filed on April 12," Visvanathan told Bernama.

Hamdan, who appeared together with deputy public prosecutor Datuk Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar, did not object to the withdrawal.

A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, comprising Justices Datuk Umi Kalthum Abdul Majid, Datuk Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal and Datuk Steven Chung Hian Guan ,subsequently struck out the appeal and applications.