Mentally challenged person beaten up by police, claims lawyer

A mentally challenged person was allegedly beaten up by eight plainclothes police officers until he vomited blood.

Lawyer P Uthayakumar claimed that apart from being in plainclothes, the officers also came in three private cars before they allegedly barged inside his client’s low-cost flat in Rawang and started kicking him on the chest.

If his client, P Muneswaran, 38, was alone at the time, the police would have just taken him away, said Uthayakumar.

Muneswaran was allegedly beaten in front of his wife and his 75-year-old parents during the incident which occurred on Tuesday night.

However, the police denied such an incident took place, saying it was mere allegations.

Uthayakumar also questioned why the police had come in plainclothes, when the law states that a raiding team must have at least one officer in uniform.

“Let’s say he dies in police custody; there are no records as to who arrested him and the next time you’ll find him in a drain or a palm oil estate,” said Uthayakumar to Malaysiakini.

The lawyer said he was told that the police were from the D9 unit. But the D9 unit, however, handles either murder cases or whose victims are VIPs.

“Why is this, then, such a special case? When you talk to my client, within a few minutes, you will know he’s not normal; he’s mentally challenged, he can’t speak well.”

Muneswaran was detained for supposedly extorting someone in Serdang, but Uthayakumar argued how his client cannot even move on his own.

“He doesn’t even have a motorbike to travel; he just stays within the flat area, collecting bins and newspapers to make a living,” he said.

The police, said Uthayakumar, obtained a remand order for three days which will end tomorrow.

Uthayakumar (photo) therefore filed an application for revision before the High Court judge, at the Shah Alam High Court today, asking for his client to be released immediately.

“I hope that it will be heard this afternoon if not, tomorrow. My biggest concern is, although the remand may end tomorrow, they can get an extension of another remand,” he said.

When contacted, Serdang police chief Razimi Ahmad said Uthayakumar’s claims were mere allegations.

Asked whether it was true that Muneswaran was beaten up until he coughed blood, Razimi said if that had occurred, then he would have been hospitalised.

When pointed out that Muneswaran was discharged after being hospitalised, Razimi said that this was proof that Muneswaran’s condition was not serious.

“Even the doctor discharged him, so that means there’s nothing to it,” he said.

In a video clip sent by Uthayakumar, a person calls Muneswaran’s name repeatedly, asking him whether he could get up.

Muneswaran is seen lying on the floor, dotted with what looks like drops of blood in front of him, clutching his chest.

-Mkini