PETALING JAYA, JUNE 3- Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy today called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar to immediately suspend all police officers involved in the interrogation of suspects who died while in police custody.
On Saturday, there was yet another death in police custody, involving 42-year-old former engineer P Karuna Nithi in Tampin. This was the third custodial death in 11 days, with the first being N Dhamendran who died at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters on May 21, followed by R Jamesh Ramesh who was found dead at the Penang police headquarters on May 26.
The deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department also urged Home minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to take steps in implementing the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) or risk losing the people’s confidence in the police force.
“The public is very much disturbed by this continued trend of deaths in custody, ironically mostly involving Indians,” he said in a statement today.
He added that an immediate independent inquiry sanctioned by the Home Minister pending the implementation of IPCMC is required, with members consisting of civil societies, human rights organisations, the Bar Council, top police officers and the AG’s chambers.
On the case of Dhamendran, the deputy minister questioned whether the police are practising double standard.
“Though the police claim to be investigating a murder case, none of the suspects have been arrested and remanded pending completion of investigations.
“This has raised suspicion amongst the public as ordinary suspects are normally arrested and remanded on the flimsiest accusation. Aren’t the police practising double standard?” he asked.
Waythamoorthy added that it is “amazing” for ordinary citizens who had been walking freely all this while to suddenly die after being locked up by the police.
“Police can never go on giving flimsy excuses for these mysterious deaths and apply double standard in the investigations involving their own men,” he said, adding that the police force must take full responsibility over this “unhealthy trend of suspicious deaths in custody”.
“The utmost right among all human rights is the right for a life to live under the grace of God. Hence, no one has the right to take away another’s life,” said Waythamoorthy.
