Youth beaten black and blue by 'tensed' traffic cop

By G Vinod - Free Malaysia Today,

KUALA LUMPUR: Little did S Karthik suspect that an outing with his girlfriend would leave him black and blue after being allegedly beaten by a traffic cop, who was having a bad day.
The 20-year-old mechanic filed a report with the Setapak police station yesterday.
Speaking to FMT, Karthik said the 9.30pm incident occurred last Tuesday when he was travelling on his motorcycle with his girlfriend near Section 1, Wangsa Maju here.
“When I stopped at a traffic light, the traffic policeman came up to me and started beating me for no reason,” he said, adding that his assailant had also pounded him with a helmet.
Despite his shocked girlfriend's repeated pleas, Karthik said the policeman whacked him on the legs and stomach, and punched his face several times.
A passer-by who claimed to be a police officer came to his aid and stopped the attack, not before Karthik sustained bruises on his face and body.
“Then, the traffic policeman himself took me to a nearby clinic and paid for my medical bill. He also apologised and admitted that it was foolish of him to have attacked me,” he said.
And when Karthik asked why he had assaulted him, the mechanic claimed that the policeman told him that he was feeling “tensed”.
The policeman had also warned the youth against filing a police report, but Karthik said that when he discussed the matter with his father, both of them agreed that it should be pursued.
'Minister must look into this'
Meanwhile, an NGO specialising in tackling the woes afflicting the Indian community, Astivaaram Foundation, expressed outrage over the incident.
The foundation's public complaints bureau chairman R Sri Sanjeevan said this was not the first time such an incident had happened.
“The police should not beat up people even if they are suspected of being involved in a crime. Call them to the police station and investigate professionally,” he told FMT.
As for Karthik's case, he said that Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein should personally look into the matter.
“The minister must ensure such incidents do not happen again,” he said, adding that action must be taken against the errant policeman.
FMT could not reach Sentul district police chief ACP Zakaria Pagar for comments.