Probe death in custody at Simpang Renggam prison, says rights group

 

Simpang Renggam prison officials said Surendran died from ‘septic shock with multiple organ failure’ but Kluang hospital authorities said he died of Covid-19.

PETALING JAYA: A rights group has called for an inquest into another death in custody, this time involving a 21-year-old at the Simpang Renggam prison, yesterday.

Eliminating Deaths and Abuse in Custody Together (EDICT) said the inquiry could help determine the cause of death and identify the perpetrator or perpetrators, if any.

Surendran Shanker became the latest custodial death casualty when he died at the Kluang hospital yesterday, less than a month after being moved to the Simpang Renggam prison.

According to prison officials, Surendran died from “septic shock with multiple organ failure”. However, Kluang hospital authorities now claim he died of Covid-19 and are refusing to hand the body over to his family.

Surendran Shanker.

His death comes just a month after that of cow’s milk vendor A Ganapathy on April 18 and security guard S Sivabalan on May 20. Both of them died in hospital after being held at the Gombak police station.

In a statement today, EDICT urged the coroner’s court to hold an inquest into Surendran’s death, saying it was empowered to do so under Section 339 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

EDICT also urged the government to take drastic measures to stop police brutality in custody cases.

“Officers must be trained to handle detainees in a better way. The welfare of detainees is often neglected while in prisons, immigration detention centres, and lock-ups,” it said, adding that the government must improve the conditions of these facilities. - FMT