Girlfriend lodges report on behalf of fugitive cop

The girlfriend of fugitive cop S. Hare Krishnan, who is wanted over the death of detainee N. Dhamendran, has lodged a police report on his behalf, claiming he was framed.

In a text reply to The Malay Mail, City CID Chief Datuk Ku Chin Wah confirmed that a police report had been made on June 1 at the Brickfields police station in Kuala Lumpur by the girlfriend, who is currently Hare Krishnan’s spokesperson.

The message read: “We have investigated his report independently, and the results of the investigation have been forwarded to the investigating officer of Dhamendran’s death.”

Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported Hare Krishnan’s claim that he was innocent and that he had been dragged into the case to “protect certain parties”.

A copy of the report obtained by Malaysiakini apparently states that Hare Krishnan had not been in the Dang Wangi police station lock-up on the day Dhamendran died, following horrific torture.

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LockUp Death - Furniture shop sales assistant's inquest postponed to Aug 12

Lim Gaik Suan (left), the mother of deceased furniture shop sales assistant Cheah Chin Lee, with a friend outside the coroner’s court after the inquest proceedings were postponed yesterday.



The inquest into the death of Cheah Chin Lee, a furniture shop sales assistant, will be held on Aug 12 and 13 -- exactly a year after his death in police custody.

The inquest, which was supposed to begin at the coroner's court here yesterday and last until Friday, had to be deferred to the new dates after M. Visvanathan, the counsel holding a watching brief for the deceased's family, informed the court that he had been admitted to hospital from July 6 to 12.

Coroner L. Umma Devi said in court that it was earlier agreed that the inquest would proceed for four days from yesterday.

"The court had blocked out these dates for the inquest. However, the counsel faxed over a medical certificate to the court yesterday (Monday) afternoon, which was a public holiday.

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'Tampin lock-up death not our fault'

The death of a 43-year-old inmate at the Tampin lock-up on Saturday has nothing to do with police brutality.

State police chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Osman Salleh said a coroner and a pathologist had examined the remains of P. Karuna Nithi (pic) and both have said there were no bruises or external injuries on the deceased to suggest abuse.

“We are waiting for the final post-mortem report to see if the deceased suffered any internal injury. But as of now, the pathologist is unable to establish the cause of death,” he told reporters here. SAC Osman said the jobless man had been well taken care of when he was in the lock-up and there are CCTV recordings to prove this.

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Gobind’s jab infuriates Home Minister

Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi got into a heated exchange today with Gobind Singh Deo and other opposition MPs over a police report made against him for alleged assault.

It started when Gobind, the MP for Puchong, asked the home minister why there was no police investigation when a report was lodged that a person had physically abused and threatened another person.

"I am referring to none other than you minister," said Gobind. Ahmad Zahid sat quietly as other MPs voiced support for him or Gobind.

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Lock-up deaths: Home Minister assures action in Karuna Nithi case

Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has given the assurance that action will be taken against the policemen responsible for the death in lock-up of 42-year-old P. Karuna Nithi.

"I will give due attention to the case.

"If any officer or personnel had breached lock-up standard operating procedures, action will definitely be taken," he told R. Sivarasa (PKR- Subang).

He reiterated that there would be no compromise against errant personnel.

Earlier, in Parliament lobby, PKR vice-president N. Surendran, who is Pandang Serai MP, said that the post-mortem results revealed that the deceased sustained 49 injuries all over his body as a result of being beaten by a blunt object.

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Suspect dies while being arrested

A 53-year-old suspect died while being apprehended by police in Jalan Barat, here, following a car chase.

Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Ahmad said police patrol unit chased the suspect and an accomplice, who were in a Proton Waja, and caught up with them at around 12.15pm yesterday.

“There was a struggle. While they were apprehending the suspects, the 53-year-old fell unconscious. An ambulance was called to the scene and the man was pronounced dead at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital,” he said.

ACP Zainuddin said a post-mortem on the man showed no external or internal wounds and that all his organs were in good condition.

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We have done our part on deaths in custody – MIC boss

The leader of Malaysia’s oldest Indian political party today denied it was tame on the issue of Indian deaths in police custody.

It has been doing its job by making “powerful statements” to the Government on this matter, declared Datuk Seri G. Palanivel, president of the Malaysian Indian Congress.

“We are following up on the issue constantly. We have not been ‘tame’ on it,” Palanivel said.

Since 1990, the number of deaths in custody has shown a worrying trend, with the latest casualty being 32-year-old truck driver N. Dharmendran.

When asked by The Malaysian Insider if he would consider roping in P. Waythmoorthy, the chairman of Hindraf, the Hindu Rights Action Force, Palanivel said, “I do not have to work with him in this... I know how to work on it.”

He said he will work only with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on the matter.

The Natural Resources and Environment Minister was speaking at a press conference today after a high-level meeting to plan the party elections for the end of this year.

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Lock-up deaths: Dharmendran's son will never be able to celebrate Father's Day again, says mother

PETALING JAYA: The son of N. Dhamendran will never be able to celebrate Father's Day for the rest of his life, said S. Marry Mariay, 26, the wife of the man who was found murdered in his lock-up cell on May 21 this year.

"He is very fond of his father. In the beginning, my son didn't realise what was happening but now he is asking for his father," she said.

Dhamendran's father, V.Narayanasamy, said Father's Day would never be same for him again.

"He would call me in the morning to wish me a Happy Father's Day. He would even buy a cake and organise a small function. Now, he is gone," said Narayanasamy, who wants to see the his son's murderers behind bars.

Guan Eng: Death of Japanese man gives ‘international relevance’ to IPCMC calls

The demand for the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) now has “international relevance”, Lim Guan Eng said today, pointing to the latest lock-up death involving a Japanese detainee - the fourth in two weeks.

The DAP secretary-general said the prevalence of such deaths, regardless whether they were not at the hands of the police, has tarnished Malaysia’s international reputation and smeared the image of the police force.

“How many more must die before the tragedy of custodial deaths are stopped?” Lim said in a statement here.

“Only the establishment of the IPCMC can prevent needless custodial deaths and it would be very sad that a Japanese detainee must die in police custody before moving the BN federal government to act,” he added.

The Penang Chief Minister added that the public would continue to stay suspicious at the police and their interrogation methods unless they are not only assured to be clean but are also “seen to be clean”.

In the latest tragedy behind bars, Nobuhiro Matsushita, 33, was found dead at 4am yesterday in his cell at the USJ8 police station lock-up.

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