GEORGE TOWN, MAY 23- Hindraf and Kedah Gerakan Youth Movement want an immediate inquest into the sudden death in custody of N Darmindran in Kuala Lumpur police headquarters on Tuesday.
Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy and Kedah Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang want the inquest to be conducted by an independent body and its findings to be made public.
“It is utmost importance that this matter must be investigated by such an inquest,” said both.
Waythamoorthy also called on Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar to immediately suspend all those suspects allegedly involved in the death of Darmindran, 32.
He said the police cannot go on giving lame excuses on such incidents because there were one too many deaths in police custody.
“Public will no longer entertain such lame excuses,” he told FMT here today.
He said it was time for the police to implement preventive measures to stop these deaths such as installing closed circuit television cameras in all police stations and lock-ups.
He also called the government to amend the law to allow formation of area citizen groups who would be given round-the-clock access to their respective neighbourhood police stations and detainees in police lock-ups.
Citing several countries which practiced it, he said these groups shall be made of neighbourhood residents with good and credible public standing, and not necessary they have to be educated or professional persons.
He said citizen groups shall be allowed to visit police stations and detainees at any time to have first-hand look at their captive conditions.
“It’s important for the police to take these pro-active steps immediately to restore waning public trust and confidence in the force,” said Waythamoorthy.
Darmindran was remanded as a suspect in alleged shooting of two men in Bandar Tun Razak two weeks ago. The deceased had complained of chest pains at about 9pm on Tuesday while being detained at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters lock-up.
He was immediately sent to the Kuala Lumpur hospital for treatment but died upon arrival there.
City police chief Deputy Commissior Mohmad Salleh has said that post-mortem results revealed that the victim might have been murdered while in police custody, adding that the Bukit Aman CID investigators were now investigating the matter.
Tan said deaths in police custody would certainly tarnish public confidence in the police force, thus the cause of it must be known immediately.
“Any delay would affect public perception towards the Barisan Nasional government,” he said in an e-statement.
