Witness who testified against cops 'arrested'

By Teoh El Sen (FMT)

KUALA LUMPUR: A witness in the just-concluded R Gunasegaran inquest was allegedly roughed-up and arrested by several men claiming to be policemen last night.

The victim, unemployed K Selvachandran, 39, was one of the witnesses who had testified against the police in the custodial death inquest.

Social activist C Sekar told FMT that the men came to Selvachandran's house at the Desa Rejang flats in Setapak here around 10pm.

"Five men came in, all big sized. I was told they looked like plainclothes policemen. Before Selvachandran could open the door, they reached in and twisted his arm and tried to break open the door," said Sekar, who helped the family file a police report on the incident.

Once they entered the house, Sekar said the men immediately handcuffed Selvachandran, who was just clad in a sarong.

“His wife had to put on a pair of pants for him. The men also used foul language,” he added.

One of the men, who identified himself as “Inspector Suresh”, told the family that Selvachandran would be detained for 60 days at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters for drug-related offences.

CID chief: Don't spread rumours

Contacted later, Kuala Lumpur CID chief SAC II Ku Chin Wah claimed to be in the dark over the matter.

“I don't even know who he (Selvachandran) is. Don't spread rumours,” he told FMT.

Yesterday, coroner Siti Shakirah Mohtarudin delivered an "open verdict" in the inquest to determine Gunasegaran's cause of death. The latter died in police custody two years ago.

Gunasegaran, 31, a toddy shop assistant, collapsed while his thumbprint was being taken between 6.45pm and 7pm on July 16, 2008 at the Sentul police headquarters and was pronounced dead at 7.40pm at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital the same day.

Sit Shakirah's judgment ruled that there were two possible causes for Gunasegaran's death, but the court was not able to ascertain between the two.

One was based on the autopsy, which stated that Gunasegaran died of a drug overdose.

The second version was the claim by another suspect who alleged that he saw a policeman kick and beat Gunasegaran to death.