Another death in police custody - stop 'defaming' the dead and investigate how he died thoroughly

When will it all stop?

Another death in police custody - alleged death by strangulation ... police claim he hung himself...

And, CCTV recordings is not assisting police in their investigations... something is amiss.

There has just been too many deaths in police custody in Malaysia - too many 'shoot to kill incidents' where almost all the victims get shot dead, hence no witnesses to challenge the police version. No public inquiries into 'shoot to kill' incidents yet...maybe the government will remedy that.

But, with death in police custody, the government has previously taken the position that there will be inquests (inquiries into the death) - but when it happens, lack of evidence...poor investigation usually provides one outcome ....i.e. no one criminally responsible for the death, mmm

CCTV with recording capabilities - but now they say it does not help....

How does one in a police lock-up hang oneself? So, his cellmates were happily standing around when he made preparation...and hung himself... What about others in the room? Did nobody see anything

What is the police doing by 'ruling out foul play' - have they even completed the investigation into the death? Do not tell me that the police have become super efficient in their investigation. All the police need to do is to investigate and investigate thoroughly all possibilities... Get all the witness statements properly recorded... The Inquest will decide whether there was 'foul play' or not - not State police chief SAC I Datuk Osman Salleh (or the police). A majistrate, sitting as the  Coroner, in the inquest will decide. 

What we need is speed - The inquest must be immediately held. If not, the police will come and say that the 'previous cellmates' cannot be found, and this police officer has been transferred, etc... in short difficult to find relevant witnesses - and the Inquest will only have to rely on the alleged statements of witnesses taken by some police officer. Remember, in the case of death in police custody, one of the principal suspects is the police...Really, someone else should be investigating these death in police custody cases...

Why did the police(or some other)  pour 'dirt' on the deceased? Who revealed his past convictions, etc... Does it matter now? Or should we not be focusing on the death in police custody. The police should stop 'defaming' the dead - it is something that the authorities seem to be doing after 'shoot to kill' incidents, and now in 'death in police custody cases' - if not, what is the source of information that reporters rely on. 

Are they trying to say that these are 'evil men' - and Malaysians should not be bothered about how they died (or were killed)? What is the reason behind all these disclosures - and some are not even proven facts (tested in court that led to a conviction) but mere suspicions and allegations. 

Police should stop trying to justify 'killings' by painting a picture that the dead victims were really 'bad' 'evil' people. That is not the issue at all. 

The issue is whether the police killed him? whether someone else killed him? Was it the police's negligence that caused the death? After all hanging oneself takes time - unlike taking a gun and shooting yourself... Surely the cellmates, the police personnel monitoring the lock-ups, the officers monitoring the CCTV recordings would have seen something that would have prevented the death? Where were the cops.... what were they doing?

BAHAU: Police have ruled out foul play in the death of an ex-convict who was found strangled in his cell at the Jempol police station on Monday morning.

State police chief SAC I Datuk Osman Salleh said findings by a forensic pathologist from the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital in Seremban also revealed there were no other injuries on 28-year-old P. Babu.

“The only marks visible on the deceased’s body were on his neck and these were consistent with someone who had committed suicide by hanging,” he told The Star.

Osman said police have also viewed the closed-circuit television (CCTV) recordings at the lock-up and had spoken to his cellmates in the course of their investigation.

“The CCTV recordings too didn’t reveal anything,” he said.

Babu, a sawmill worker with several convictions previously, had surrendered to police on Jan 28 to assist in investigations into several robberies near here.

Osman said in the early hours of Jan 26, Babu and three accomplices aged in their late 20s and early 30s had allegedly robbed a couple at a rubber estate near here.

“The couple called the police and a patrol car was immediately despatched to the scene.

“When my men reached the area, they managed to detain one of the suspects while the others managed to escape on their bikes,” he said, adding that police also recovered some stolen jewellery from the man.

Babu, who was released from prison three months ago after serving a six-year jail term for robbery, and the two others surrendered to the police two days later.

It is understood that Babu had also served time for drug-related and cheating offences previously.

When met at the family home at Rumah Rakyat near here, Babu’s uncle M. Mahadevan, 35, said the family would ask for an independent post-mortem.

“We are not going to accept the post-mortem done by the hospital authorities as we don’t believe Babu committed suicide,” said the district council employee.

Mahadevan said although his nephew died at about 3am, he was only allowed to see the body after the post-mortem was conducted several hours later.

He also asked why there were no CCTVs in the toilet as this could have helped determine how Babu died.

“The police have asked us to collect his remains for burial but I will only do so after the independent post-mortem has been done,” he added. - Star, 2/2/2010, No foul play in detainee’s death, cops say

BAHAU: An ex-convict who turned himself in at the Jempol police station last Thursday to assist police investigations into several robberies was found dead in his cell early yesterday.

P. Babu, 28, who was released from prison just three months ago after serving a six-year term for robbery, was found hanging from a beam in the lock-up toilet, at about 3am.

According to police sources, Babu and three other friends were on their way to rob a house in a rubber plantation near here on Jan 26, but were foiled by policemen on patrol, who opened fire when the suspects refused to stop.

Despite being hit on the leg, Babu and his friends escaped on two motorcycles.

Babu, however, gave himself up at the station two days later, and this led to the arrest of the other three.

It could not be immediately ascertained if Babu had shared the cell with other detainees.

State plantation affairs and human development committee chairman V. S. Mogan, when met at the Jempol Hospital where the body was taken for a post mortem, said police must explain how Babu died.

“Although initial reports show that Babu hanged himself, we hope the police can also enlighten us on what really happened.

“This is important because people are already making assumptions over his death,” Mogan said.

Jempol MIC Youth chief M. Palani later lodged a police report over Babu’s death.

State PKR deputy chairman and Port Dickson assemblyman M. Ravi, who was also at the hospital, said Babu’s family should ask for an independent post mortem if they were unhappy with the one conducted at the hospital.

Babu, whose parents died some time ago, lived with an uncle.

State deputy police chief Datuk Abdul Manan Hassan said police were awaiting the post mortem report and that investigations were underway. - Star, 2/2/2010, Ex-convict assisting police investigation found dead in cell

 But, the family does not buy the story that he committed suicide.

And, it certainly is too soon for the police to even say

The family of a man, said to have committed suicide while in police custody, have refused to collect his remains from the morgue and are seeking another post-mortem.

Sawmill worker P Babu, 28, was found dead in the Jempol police lock up at about 4am after he surrendered himself in connection with a robbery case.

When contacted, Jempol MIC Youth chief M Palani said the first post-mortem report classified the death as suicide.

The deceased had apparently used his shirt to hang himself.

"But this is unofficial. We were told that we would get the black and white report within seven days," he added.

'Strong willed person'

Palani said the family have rejected the findings because "Babu was a strong willed person and would not have this decision (to commit suicide)".

"We are also questioning the fact that he hung himself using his shirt. Shouldn't he be wearing a police issued t-shirt (for detainees)?" he asked.

Yesterday, Palani filed a police report calling for a thorough investigation into Babu's death.

Both MIC and PKR politicians have cried foul over the incident and offered to help the family secure a second post-term.

For years, activists and politicians have been complaining about the high number of fatalities involving Indian Malaysian police detainees.

In January 2008, a police constable was charged with causing hurt to extract a confession from A Kugan, 22, who died in police custody in Subang Jaya.

In July, P Gunasegaran, 31, was found dead in the Sentul police station. An inquest is currently underway.- Malaysiakini, 2/2/2010, Family rejects 'suicide' claim, wants independent autopsy