A Malaysian policeman was charged Thursday over the death in custody of an ethnic Indian man, the officer's lawyer said, amid fears of suspected police abuse.
Police constable V. Navindran faces two charges of "greviously hurting" 22-year-old suspected car thief A. Kugan in a bid to get him to admit guilt or provide information on other offences, Suraj Singh told AFP.
"Navindran has claimed trial to the charges and the judge has set bail at 10,000 ringgit (2,889 dollars)," he said.
Kugan died on January 20 at a police station where he had been detained on suspicion of stealing luxury cars, in a case that has put the spotlight on Malaysia's police force and its reputation for corruption and abuse.
In March, rights groups and political parties demanded action against rogue police after a second post mortem examination showed Kugan died from injuries consistent with being beaten while under interrogation. There were also a number of burns on his body.
The second autopsy contradicted the first, which found that Kugan died from fluid in his lungs.
"Kugan's family are very disappointed because 11 police officers were involved in what happened and reassigned because of what happened and yet only one person has been charged," the family's lawyer, Gobind Singh Deo, told AFP.
"We will be writing to the attorney general as the multiple injuries on Kugan's body speak for themselves. They must charge the rest of the perpetrators," he said.
A spokesman for rights group Voice of the Malaysian People said the government must hold an inquest to find out those who were really responsible for the death, saying Kugan's case was not isolated. The group said there were 85 deaths in police custody between 2003 and 2007.
Kugan's death sparked an uproar among the Indian community, with more than 1,000 people attending his funeral.
Ethnic Indians, the majority of whom were brought to Malaysia by British colonial rulers in the 1800s, complain they are marginalised in terms of education, wealth and opportunities.
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