INTERVIEW Little knowing death was awaiting him, N Dharmendran had willingly lodged a police report at the Pudu police station over his involvement in a fight as he felt he had nothing to fear, his wife S Marry told Malaysiakini in an interview today.
On May 11, Dharmendran had run into trouble when he met a long-time rival at a nearby barbershop, who had brought thugs to beat Dharmendran up, and a fight occurred.
"I am not guilty, so what should I fear?" she claimed he had told her over the phone when he went to give his statement to the police that same day.
However upon giving his report, the police then remanded him at the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters (IPK).
On May 11, Dharmendran had run into trouble when he met a long-time rival at a nearby barbershop, who had brought thugs to beat Dharmendran up, and a fight occurred.
"I am not guilty, so what should I fear?" she claimed he had told her over the phone when he went to give his statement to the police that same day.
However upon giving his report, the police then remanded him at the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters (IPK).
He was found dead there on May 22, badly bruised and staples attached to his body.
The 31-year-old's death in police custody was the sixth this year. The family's lawyer, N Surendran, said it was the worst case he had seen since the death of A Kugan in 2009.
Since her husband's arrest on May 11, Marry (left) was not allowed to visit him and not told of the husband's whereabouts until May 19.
Marry was only informed of his arrest from a police officer in D9 (serious crime branch) of IPK who allegedly asked her to bring five packets of chicken rice, five cans of 100 Plus and three packets of cigarettes before she was allowed to see her husband.
Upon complying with the bribe, Marry was then allowed to speak to him but noticed that Dharmendran was "acting strange".
"I asked him if the police had hurt him, and how long until he would be released (on bail), but he just sat there quietly, glancing at the police officer on duty as if he felt threatened.
"It was so unlike him. He usually loves to talk."
The sole breadwinner of the family, Dharmendran worked as a driver at sewerage company Indah Water, to support his wife and their two-year-old son.
When Marry asked him when he would resume work, the officer on duty, who sat in front of a computer, interrupted her and offered to settle the paperwork for his absence.
"He (the officer) was being very pushy about it. He said he would help fill out the forms for Dharmendran's absence at work while my husband assisted the police in their investigation," Marry said.
"The officer then asked me to go home."
A report from Kuala Lumpur CID chief Ku Chin Wah (left) said that Dharmendran had died as a result of breathing difficulties.
The 31-year-old's death in police custody was the sixth this year. The family's lawyer, N Surendran, said it was the worst case he had seen since the death of A Kugan in 2009.
Since her husband's arrest on May 11, Marry (left) was not allowed to visit him and not told of the husband's whereabouts until May 19.Marry was only informed of his arrest from a police officer in D9 (serious crime branch) of IPK who allegedly asked her to bring five packets of chicken rice, five cans of 100 Plus and three packets of cigarettes before she was allowed to see her husband.
Upon complying with the bribe, Marry was then allowed to speak to him but noticed that Dharmendran was "acting strange".
"I asked him if the police had hurt him, and how long until he would be released (on bail), but he just sat there quietly, glancing at the police officer on duty as if he felt threatened.
"It was so unlike him. He usually loves to talk."
The sole breadwinner of the family, Dharmendran worked as a driver at sewerage company Indah Water, to support his wife and their two-year-old son.
When Marry asked him when he would resume work, the officer on duty, who sat in front of a computer, interrupted her and offered to settle the paperwork for his absence.
"He (the officer) was being very pushy about it. He said he would help fill out the forms for Dharmendran's absence at work while my husband assisted the police in their investigation," Marry said."The officer then asked me to go home."
A report from Kuala Lumpur CID chief Ku Chin Wah (left) said that Dharmendran had died as a result of breathing difficulties.
However Marry said he did have asthma but it was only a minor condition.
"The pathologist (Dr Siew Sheue Feng) said he had not suffered from cardiac arrest, nor did he have asthma then," she added.
‘Loving husband and son'
Marry told Malaysiakini that Dharmendran was a very loving husband, who would go to great lengths to pamper her, and who loved helping people.
"You'd never find a man like that anywhere. He would visit charity homes on his birthday every year and donate small amounts of money," Marry said.
Dharmendran was also a filial son, said his father B Narayanasamy who was also present at the interview.
He recounted how attached his son was to him and his mother.
"He would give RM300 to us every month, and call us every week, no matter how busy he was," Narayanasamy said as he wiped tears from his eyes.
The family is still waiting for the authorities to take action on the police officers responsible despite a post-mortem report confirming that Dharmendran had died due to "diffuse soft tissue injuries due to multiple blunt force traumas."
This, the family's lawyer's N Surendran (right) had alleged, proved that Dharmendran had been beaten and horribly tortured to death while in custody.
"The pathologist (Dr Siew Sheue Feng) said he had not suffered from cardiac arrest, nor did he have asthma then," she added.
‘Loving husband and son'
Marry told Malaysiakini that Dharmendran was a very loving husband, who would go to great lengths to pamper her, and who loved helping people.
"You'd never find a man like that anywhere. He would visit charity homes on his birthday every year and donate small amounts of money," Marry said.
Dharmendran was also a filial son, said his father B Narayanasamy who was also present at the interview.
He recounted how attached his son was to him and his mother.
"He would give RM300 to us every month, and call us every week, no matter how busy he was," Narayanasamy said as he wiped tears from his eyes.
The family is still waiting for the authorities to take action on the police officers responsible despite a post-mortem report confirming that Dharmendran had died due to "diffuse soft tissue injuries due to multiple blunt force traumas."This, the family's lawyer's N Surendran (right) had alleged, proved that Dharmendran had been beaten and horribly tortured to death while in custody.
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