KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: A physical examination conducted on actress K. Sujatha revealed that she was not pregnant but such examination is not conclusive.

Former Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital (TARH) specialist Dr Kiran Nair, 37, said she had examined Sujatha by pressing her lower abdomen when she was transferred from Ward 7A to Ward 8C on June 21, 2007.

"Usually, we can feel the foetus if the pregnancy is beyond 12 weeks. But in this case, it was not palpable," she said, adding that however such physical examination was not a determinant.

"If the pregnancy is before 12 weeks, then it can only be detected through a urine test or post-mortem."

She also said that Sujatha's medical form did not state whether she was pregnant.

"The house officer was supposed to fill up the blanks in the form," said Dr Kiran, who is now attached with Putrajaya Hospital.

(In proceedings on Tuesday, a doctor at the TARH hospital Dr Lim Ai Wei testified that she was instructed by Dr S.P. Sakthiveloo not to ask Sujatha about her last period or whether she was pregnant, in order to complete the form. Dr Sakthiveloo was a specialist at the hospital.)

When asked by deputy public prosecutor Anselm Charles Fernandis whether it was normal for a specialist to give such instructions, she said it was not.

Dr Kiran, however, agreed to a suggestion by Datuk K. Kumaraendran, who is holding a watching brief for S. Vell Paari (the chief executive officer of Maika Holdings Bhd), that it was common for a specialist to co-manage a patient if he personally knew the patient.

Dr Kiran was the one who prepared Sujatha's medical report when she was transferred to Ward 8C until her death on June 25, 2007.

Yesterday's inquest also heard that although Sujatha's urine samples tested negative for paraquat, she had all the clinical symptoms which showed she had consumed the weedkiller.

Dr Kiran said various symptoms that Sujatha had, which included renal and liver failure, mouth and throat ulcers, gastric pain and vomitting were consistent with paraquat poisoning.

She said Sujatha had undergone three dialysis treatments before her urine samples were taken for paraquat tests.

"If the samples were taken after dialysis, the results will be negative," she said.

Dr Kiran said when Sujatha was transferred to Ward 8C, she was conscious and able to communicate verbally despite a bad ulcer in her mouth area.

"I asked her what she had consumed. She told me she accidentally consumed paraquat directly from the bottle.

"She thought it was cough mixture. So she uncapped the bottle and took a gulp," said Dr Kiran.

However, she said it was unlikely that Sujatha had "accidentally" taken the herbicide due to its strong smell.

She said based on her experience, those who intentionally consumed paraquat were those who wanted to commit suicide.

Dr Kiran said if someone consumed less than 10ml of paraquat, it was unlikely to be fatal, if 10 to 20ml, there was 70 per cent mortality and it would be 100 per cent fatal if it was more than 20ml.

The inquest, which is before coroner Mohd Faizi Che Abu, is being held to ascertain if there was foul play in Sujatha's death.

The inquest continues on June 22.