Cop to be charged in Malay Indian's custodial death

Kuala Lumpur, Sep. 29 (ANI): At least one policeman is likely to be charged for voluntarily causing hurt to exhort confession from a Malay-Indian man, A. Kugan, who died in police custody in January.

The New Straits Times quoted sources as saying that if proved, the charge carries a maximum jail sentence of seven years and a fine.owever, the Attorney General's Chamber is still to decide on the charge.

A lawyer of the policeman, who was involved in investigations into a car theft syndicate, said that the investigation was almost complete and an announcement would be made soon.

The 22-year-old-man died on 20 January after being arrested on the suspicion of car stealing. State Police Chief Khalid Abu Bakar has said that Kugan was being interrogated when he asked for a glass of water and suddenly collapsed.

Police initially claimed that Kugan had died of "breathing difficulties", and a post-mortem report said he had died due to fluid in his lungs.

On the night of the incident, around 50 people, including members of Kugan's family, stormed the Serdang Hospital mortuary where Kugan's body was taken for a post-mortem.

Some of them took photographs of his body, showing signs of injury, which were later, published on the blog of a Member of Parliament.

The discrepancies medical report resulted in the deceased's family alleging that there were attempts to cover-up the cause of death.

An independent committee was set up by the Health Ministry.

The committee pointed out that the thermal injuries in the skin on the back of the deceased were the result of repeated trauma by a blunt but flexible object, like a folded rubber hose.

Police had to reclassify Kugan's case as "murder" after Attorney- General Abdul Gani Patail's intervention. (ANI)