Death in lock-up is now a murder case

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have classified the death of a man while in a lock-up on Tuesday as murder.

City police chief Datuk Mohmad Salleh said a post-mortem at Kuala Lumpur Hospital revealed "criminal elements" present in the death of N. Dhamendran, 32, an Alam Flora lorry driver.

He was arrested in connection with a shooting incident in Bandar Tun Razak last week.

"The case has been forwarded to (federal police headquarters at) Bukit Aman and we have received instructions to classify the investigation under murder," he said in a statement.

Police had initially classified the case as sudden death as Dhamendran had collapsed after complaining of chest pains. They had believed he had suffered an asthma attack followed by a heart attack.

Earlier, Dhamendran's wife of four years, Mary Soosay, 26, said she was unconvinced that her husband died of a heart attack.

"I received call at 7.45pm (on Tuesday) and they told me that my husband had an asthma attack and that he was in serious condition. They asked us to check with the hospital."

However, when she called the hospital, she was told that her husband had not been admitted. Only later was she told that he had died and his body was in the mortuary.

"My brother-in-law and my father, together with our lawyer, were allowed to see his body and there were bruises all over. Staples were still intact on both of his ear lobes."

Her brother-in-law, Vijayakumar Arbalan, 36, said Dhamendran's thighs also looked swollen.

Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Ku Chin Wah said Dhamendran had complained of chest pains and was taken to the hospital for treatment but was pronounced dead on arrival at 9pm.

Dhamendran and three others had been detained to assist investigations into a case where two men were shot following a heated argument in Bandar Tun Razak at 7.30pm.

In the incident, police volunteer N. Saravanan and his friend, Tamil Selvam, both 29, were shot in the abdomen and are now being treated.

Ku said the other three men detained in the incident had been released on police bail on Tuesday.

He said Dhamendran had not been released as he was supposed to assist in another investigation.