Dead detainee's mom: Cop told me to 'prepare canopy'

The family of G Ganeshwaran, who died after four days in police custody last year, has alleged that a policeman told them to return home and erect a canopy as he was being taken to hospital.

According to a police report lodged today by the deceased's mother R Manimegalai, this was told to her by a police officer as her son was being taken to hospital in an ambulance last Dec 18.

"Jangan bazirkan masa. Balik rumah dan taruk kanopi. (Don't waste time. Go home and set up a canopy)," the officer said, according to Manimegalai's police report.

Recalling events earlier on that fateful day, Manimegalai said she saw Ganeshwaran being brought out of the South Klang district police headquarters and being taken towards the ambulance.

"I managed to hug my son. His mouth was bleeding. He told me, softly, that he was struck on the neck and could not eat.

"I tried to get onto the ambulance with him, but police personnel stopped me," said Manimegalai.

Manimegalai said she then rushed to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah hospital but was informed that Ganeshwaran had died en route there at about 12.30pm.

Manimegalai said that her son did not have any serious medical conditions and was healthy at the time of his arrest.

Manimegalai urged the police to set up an independent team, comprising of officers from Bukit Aman, to investigate the circumstances behind her son's death.

She was speaking to reporters after lodging her police report at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters today. She was accompanied by her lawyer G Sivamalar.

Sivamalar said Ganeshwaran may be a victim of negligence, because there was evidence that he became unwell while in custody, and yet was not given medical attention.

"The police could have taken him to a hospital after he could not eat for two days and was suffering from stomach problems. Why was this not done?" he asked.

Ganeshwaran (photo) was picked up by the police on Dec 14 in Klang and taken to the Magistrate's Court the following day. He was re-arrested outside the court for an unrelated investigation and spent the weekend at the Shah Alam police lockup.

He was supposed to have his statement recorded on Dec 19, but complained of chest complications a day earlier, after which he was taken to hospital, but died en route.

The police claim that the autopsy report showed that Ganeshwaran died due to a pulmonary thromboembolism (a blood clot in the lung), with his death classified as "sudden death."

- Mkini