Cops in Dhamendran's case will be suspended

Police personnel allegedly involved in the death in custody of N Dhamendran will be suspended from daily duties, said Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

“It’s in the process,” he answered briefly when asked about the demands for the suspension of the four police personnel who were only reassigned to desk duties following Dhamendran's death.

Zahid was responding to the call after meeting with Jeremy England, the head of regional delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross at the ministry in Putrajaya today.

Malaysiakini was barred from covering the event, but was able to obtain a recording of Zahid's brief interview at the doorstep to his office.

This is the first time ever that Malaysiakini has been barred from covering a Home Ministry event.
Incidentally, the Defence Ministry began barring Malaysiakini from covering its events only after Zahid became defence minister in 2009.

On the three deaths in police custody within 11 days, Zahid defended the police on grounds that it was not fair to blame the police force as a whole.

He said should some police personnel go beyond the standard operating procedure for interrogation, then they should bear the responsibility, not the entire police force.

“So, to blame the entire police force as a form of protest is not fair,” Zahid said, adding that there would be no compromise on any case of death that takes place during police investigation.

The standard operating procedure may need to be reviewed, he said.
When asked about MIC director of strategy S Vell Paari who, along with Indian-based NGOs, was considering to hold street protests due to the cases, Zahid suggested that they do otherwise based on the same reason.
'Deeply concerned'

“My deputy (minister) and I are deeply concerned regarding this matter, and this not just based on the capacity of myself as a person who was given the responsibility to head this ministry, but we also stressing the humanitarian aspects,” he said.

He also believed that the special committee led by inspector-general of police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar, which is to curb incidents involving deaths in police lock-up, will do a good job for the sake of the whole country.

On May 21, N Dhamendran, 31, was found dead after being remanded at the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters. Police said he died of breathing difficulties.

However, the case was classified as murder after a post-mortem found that his body had marks of torture.

Jobless man R Jamesh Ramesh, 40, was found dead in a police station lock-up in Penang on May 26. Police said he died of liver failure.

Two days ago, engineer P Karuna Nithi became the third person to die in police custody in less than two weeks.

Despite the family members of the deceased claiming that injuries were found on his body, Negri Sembilan police chief Osman Salleh said that there is no sign of foul play involved.