Suhakam team visits lockup to probe detainee's death (Updated)

KLANG: More than 10 police personnel including an investigating officer are under probe for the death of detainee S. Bala Murugan who died in police custody on Feb 7.
North Klang District police chief ACP Mohd Yusoff Mamat told reporters that three investigation papers have been opened in the case.
He however said the 10 officers under probe will not be suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
Mohd Yusoff was speaking to reporters after meeting a team from the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) at the North Klang district police headquarters where the 44-year-old died in custody.
Suhakam Commissioner Datuk Mah Weng Kwai said the prosecution should push for an inquest under the Criminal Procedure Code.
He said from the initial inquiry, Suhakam was told that since there was no lock-up in the district police headquarters, all the detainees would be sent to Shah Alam at 6pm.
"But in this case Bala was not sent and the unfortunate thing was that he was not sent to seek medical treatment although it was quite apparent that he was not well.
"The magistrate was informed that he was not well, who knows if he had been sent for medical treatment earlier, things would have been different. It is important that we get the medical results," he said.
However Mah said it is still too early to conclude whether there was a breach on the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP).
He said Suhakam is waiting for the post mortem report to ascertain the exact cause of death before concluding its own investigations.
"What we found out was that Bala was in the 'bilik rehat khas' until 11pm plus after which he was discovered to have passed away.
"Police have told us that there was no assault on Bala. So the best way to verify this is from the medical evidence," Mah said.
He said the Suhakam team would be making several more visits to the lock-up at the district police headquarters here as it proceeds with the inquiry.
"Any one death in custody is one too many. We have to look into the whole SOP after an arrest is conducted and on the lock-up rules to see how the detainees are treated in remand. Death in custody although just one, is one too many," he said.
It was reported that Bala was arrested on Feb 6 and brought before the magistrate for a remand order, but the application was rejected.
His family members had reportedly claimed that no explanation was given for his detention.
According to lawyer Gerard Lazarus, Bala was only arrested because he was found with two other men, one of whom was wanted by the police.
"The police were actually aiming to arrest another guy, and Bala was with them in the car, so they arrested him as well.
"After they arrested him, they realised that Bala was 'Apoi' from Gang 18 over 20 years ago," he said.