Family demands justice for death-in-custody victim

Family members of death-in-custody victim cried for justice in front of the police headquarters at Bukit Aman in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

They said Krishnan Subramaniam was arrested in Kota Damansara on Nov 8 and on Nov 20, the magistrate's court in Petaling Jaya ordered that he be sent to the Hospital Bahagia mental hospital in Tanjung Rambutan, Perak, for observation.

However, Krishnan was found dead when he was sent to the hospital on Nov 22.

"The post-mortem conducted on Krishnan confirms that he died of septicaemia, meaning that his blood was badly infected," Subang MP Sivarasa Rasiah said outside the federal police headquarters.

"How did that happen? It is because there was a wound on his wrist, caused by his handcuffs or possibly by other causes that were not treated.

"We know that if he was treated with antibiotics that are easily available, he would have recovered in a week," added Sivarasa, who was with Krishnan's family to hand over a memorandum calling on Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar to take action on the matter.
krishnan appeared ill when seen in court
He said Krishnan already appeared ill when his mother Suppamanah Munaindy saw him at the magistrate’s court.

Sivarasa demanded that Bukit Aman sets up a task force to look into the matter and punish those responsible. In addition, he said. those involved in investigating and guarding Krishnan must be suspended immediately.

This needed to be done at the federal headquarters level because a police station and the state police contingent headquarters were involved in Krishnan’s death.

In addition, Sivarasa claimed, no action was taken on the police report lodged by Krishnan’s older brother, Palanisamy Subramaniam, on the day of Krishnan’s death.

The memorandum was received by ASP Jahangir on behalf of the IGP.

Earlier, Suppamanah (left) and Palanisamy broke down in tears when recounting the circumstances of the death of the 34-year-old, who was supposedly detained on suspicion of drug abuse.

PKR legal bureau member Selvamalar Genapathy, who translated what the mother and brother spoke in Tamil, said the police had done urine tests on Krishnan three to four times and each test showed negative for drugs.

“On Nov 8, police again asked for a urine sample, so he undid his trousers. They got angry and beat him up on-the spot...
“Several witnesses said when Krishnan was taken to the Damansara police station, his clothes were blood-soaked,” Selvamalar said.

She also quoted Suppamanah as denying that Krisnan had no mental or criminal problems, and that he was a decent person.

“My brother-in-law has never done any wrong,” added Krishnan’s sister-in-law Selvarani Alagappan (left).

“He loves my family a lot and does whatever I ask. Why did the police to this to him? Why are the police so cruel? Why did they kill my brother-in-law? Why?

“He has done good to other people, why did he get beaten like this? The police are cruel! Evil! They don’t appreciate other people’s lives, are they going to bring him back to life?” Selvarani shouted.