Kedah top cop confirms death of UUM student, says no signs of foul play

KUALA LUMPUR – A 21-year-old accounting student was found dead in her Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) hostel room last Saturday afternoon, with many on social media alleging she had died from electrocution.

Kedah police chief Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad told The Vibes that based on initial investigations, no elements of foul play or criminality were found by investigators at the scene, and that the victim’s definitive cause of death is still pending the results of a lab analysis.

“The case is classified as sudden death. It was also revealed the deceased had some medical history, as confirmed by her parents.

“It is advised that no unwarranted speculations should be made over this unfortunate incident. Police will reclassify the case if there are any new and profound leads.”

He said investigations managed to establish that the deceased, identified as R.S. Vinosiny, the third of four siblings, was also suffering from epilepsy.

He added that the deceased’s roommate, identified as Tharshing Dhevi, 21, told police that as an effect of her epilepsy, Vinosiny had recently experienced two seizure attacks with the latest incident occurring last December.

“Her classmates had also confirmed that the deceased told them she was also suffering from anaemia besides having epilepsy,” he said.  

In the incident, Wan Hassan said Vinosiny’s classmate had suspected something amiss when she failed to show up for a 12.30pm extra co-curricular class on Saturday, and was later unresponsive to phone calls and knocks on her dorm door.

“The classmate then alerted the block monitor of the situation, who later took around 40 minutes to gain entry into her room, where they later found her lying face down.”

He said police were then alerted at about 3.15pm by UUM’s head of security, where investigators who arrived several minutes later found Vinosiny lying face down with her hands and legs in a state of convulsion near her study table inside her room.

“Checks conducted at the scene found no criminal elements. The room (where she was found) was neat and organised and with her jewellery and valuable items all untouched.

“There were also no obvious injuries found on the deceased’s body.”

Wan Hassan said based on her medical history declared to police, forensic investigators’ initial suspicion was that she had died after suffering a seizure.

“The Kedah contingent forensics team, after conducting their investigations, suspect (she had died from) seizures because of how her fingers and both legs were found in a convulsive state.”

He said the remains were then sent for a post mortem at Hospital Bahiyah in Alor Setar on Sunday morning, while it was understood that her funeral was held in Klang on Monday afternoon.

Electrocuted to death?

Several posts on social media and news reports quoted several close acquaintances, including her father Sivakumar, who claimed she was allegedly electrocuted.

He was quoted in a report by Malaysiakini as saying his daughter had only returned to her campus a week before her death, and that he would press for the truth from authorities over the real cause of her death.

Despite police stating there were no obvious injuries on the body, Sivakumar had alleged he was informed by pathologists who conducted the post mortem that his daughter was found with burn marks on her hand and face, and discolouration on her fingers.

Sivakumar had even alleged that the pathologist conveyed to him that their checks established electrocution as the cause of death.

“It is regrettable that the university did not say things clearly when they notified me about my daughter. Now that the tragedy has happened, I just want to find out the truth.

“I do not want other students to encounter the same incident. I can be sure that there is something wrong with the university facilities, but will the university admit this,” he was quoted saying in the report.

Meanwhile, UUM in a statement expressed their sympathies and conveyed their condolences to Vinosiny’s family over her death, adding that they are waiting for the post-mortem results.

“As a sign of our concern, UUM will assist ease the burden of the deceased’s family by offering appropriate and required assistance to the family,” he said. – The Vibes, May 24, 2022