Uthayakumar’s wife claims jailed Hindraf leader being tortured in prison

(The Star) - The wife of jailed Hindraf leader P. Uthayakumar has called on the Government on Saturday to intervene on behalf of her husband, whom she alleges is being tortured and inhumanely treated in Kajang Prison.

S. Indra Devi, who was addressing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in a letter, claims that her husband who is a diabetic and suffers from a degenerative prolapsed disc in his spinal lumbar, has been locked up in dark isolation for 28-days and is forced to sleep on concrete despite his condition.

She claims that he was being fed food and water through unsanitary means.

"They put him in confinement, 24-hours a day, not seeing sunlight or fresh air and just one prison pants and shirt.

"The prison officers are also teasing, humiliating and verbally abusing my husband.

"I urge Najib or Zahid to please go and see what is being done to him at the Kajang Prison and address it. I don't deny he is a prisoner but at least treat him like a human," alleged Indra, adding that Uthayakumar had lost around 15kg since he was jailed in June.

On top of the gross treatment of the Indian rights leader, Indra also claims that prison officials were deliberately denying his family access of communication to him.

She claims officers would deny being responsible for her husband and would pass her to other departments for referral.

Uthayakumar's lawyer Avtar Singh Dhaliwal alleges that the treatment being meted to his client in prison was "selective prosecution".

"He is not being treated as a normal prisoner. This is a clear violation of basic human rights which is enshrined in our constitution," he said.

In a letter from Uthayakumar made available to The Star, he alleged that he was denied phone calls to his family and lawyers and warm water, to the point where he is force to drink "contaminated tap water".

"I am denied even a toothbrush, tooth paste, bathing and washing soap, towel, blanket and even the half-inch mattress to sleep on the cement floor.

"I am force to sleep on the bare cold cement floor despite also suffering from arthritis, forced to drink rice porridge using a dipper I and hundreds, if not thousands of other prisoners have used to wash their backsides."

On June 5, Uthayakumar was jailed for two years and six months over a sedition charge.

The former Internal Security Act detainee had on Dec 11, 2007 claimed trial to publishing a seditious letter on the Police Watch website, which was addressed to then British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.