‘Police killed my brother’

The family of a man who died in custody wants to know why the police did not investigate the cause of his death some three weeks ago.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sixty-year-old M Supamma broke down in tears in front of the Bukit Aman police headquarters today, demanding an explanation over her son’s sudden death while in police custody on Nov 22.

“They did not let me see him. When I saw him in court, he could barely speak. He could only raise his hand to wave at me. I asked them [the police], why isn’t my son talking to me?” she said.

She said a police officer, on duty to watch over her son in court, told her that S Krishnan had a head injury and was weak.

“I fainted after seeing my son like that,” a sobbing Supamma told reporters. She was at Bukit Aman to hand over a memorandum asking the police to set up a task force to investigate her son’s death in custody.

Supamma is a mother of three and Krishnan was her youngest. Suppama said she was devastated and was unable to accept that her son had died.

Krishnan, 34, worked at a sanitary company at Taman Tun Dr Ismail with his brother Palanisamy, 39.

Palanisamy said his brother was first arrested on Nov 8 in front of Block A PPRT Section 8, Kota Damansara. He was on his way back from work when he was asked to perform a urine test for suspected drug use.

“He tried to loosen his pants following orders from plainclothes policemen, but accidentally dropped his pants. He was assaulted and beaten up by the policeman for this.

“According to witnesses, his shirt was drenched in blood as a result of the beating,” he added.

Palanisamy claimed the policemen gave him a different shirt before he was brought to the police station. He was then remanded at the Shah Alam police station.

On Nov 20, Krishnan was produced at the Petaling Jaya magistrate’s court where he was ordered to be sent to Hospital Bahagia in Tanjung Rambutan, Perak, for observation.

However, Krishnan was only sent to the hospital on Nov 22, lifeless.

‘Can you give me my brother back?‘

According to the post-mortem report, the cause of death was septicemia. Septicemia is bacteria in the blood caused by infections; in Krishnan’s case, it was caused by open wounds to both his wrists.

“In the last few months, Krishnan was regularly tested for drugs. At least three to four times each month, but all of the tests proved negative. Also, he has had no previous records of drug abuse,” said Palanisamy.

He said a police report on Krishnan’s death was lodged by the family on Nov 22, urging the authorities to investigate the cause of his brother’s death.

At this point, Palanisamy started crying hysterically screaming: “The police have killed my brother. Can you give me my brother back? Who is going to take care of my mother now?”

National Indian Action Team chairman Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim, who accompanied the family, said he sympathised with the family’s loss.

“As a Muslim I am sad… it is clearly stated in the Quran that this sort of brutality is a crime and should not go unpunished. I trust the inspector-general of police [Ismail Omar] when he said the police are not racists. It has already been three weeks since the incident; more delays will only complicate the issue,” he said.

Krishnan’s family lawyer, G Sivamalar, said the police can only use reasonable force if the suspect resists arrest.

“But in this case witnesses say Krishnan did not resist arrest but was beaten up when he accidentally dropped his pants during the urine test. This is not fair and just,” she added.

Supamma handed over the memorandum to ACP Jahangir who represented the police force at the gates of the police headquarters. Also present with the family today was PKR leader R Sivarasa.