Two years ago on 16 Jul 2009, R
Gunasegaran died on the way to Kuala Lumpur Hospital after having been
detained at the Sentul District Police Headquarters on the same day.
The
police claimed that the then-31-year old toddy shop assistant collapsed
due to drug abuse while the police was taking his thumbprint at the
Sentul District Police Headquarters. However, R Gunasegaran’s sister, R
Ganga Gowri, claimed her brother had been assaulted by the police.
An
inquest into R Gunasegaran’s death began on 11 Nov 2009 and concluded
on 25 Oct 2010, with Coroner Siti Shakirah Mohtarudin giving an open
verdict stating that the cause of R Gunasegaran’s death while in police
custody could not be proven conclusively.
After
the first autopsy, the doctor verified that R Gunasegaran’s death had
been due to drug abuse. However, another suspect who had been arrested
with R Gunasegaran claimed that he had seen a policeman assault R
Gunasegaran until the latter was unconscious. The second autopsy also
reportedly revealed a scar measuring 28 cm (length) by 8 cm (width) by 5
cm (depth) on R Gunasegaran’s chest.
After
the open verdict was delivered, R Gunasegaran’s family announced they
would file for a judicial review of the decision in the High Court.
Every
death in custody must be thoroughly and impartially investigated. R
Gunasegaran’s death must not be relegated to a mere statistic.
Based on the Royal Malaysia Police’s statistics, 85 persons died in police custody between 2003 and 2007 alone.
We express our heartfelt condolences to R Gunasegaran’s family and friends on the anniversary of his death.
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