Having six sisters and being the only son, M Ulaganathan was forced to drop out of school when he was in Form Four due to his father's illness.

On May 12, 2003, Ulaganathan, who was then 19, was helping his mother at their food stall in Balakong, Selangor, when the police arrested him over a murder case.

And after being detained for 69 days in the Kajang police lock-up, he returned home in a coffin.