Hare Krishnan not at police HQ when Dharmendran died

Witness says police inspector’s movements were traced using telephone number mapping, as provided by the service provider.

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here was today told that Serious Crimes Branch (D9) Operations Officer Inspector S Hare Krishnan, who is charged with murdering N Dharmendran in a police lock-up, was not at the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters on May 21, 2013.

Kuala Lumpur police staff officer (Investigation/Planning) (D8) ASP Koh Fei Chow, 47, said this was based on Hare Krishnan’s telephone number mapping, as provided by the service provider.

“In the morning, it was detected near the headquarters.

“After that, the location was mostly in the Cheras area and only in the evening, it was near the headquarters.”

He said this during examination-in-chief by lawyer M Athimulan, representing Hare Krishnan, in the defence proceedings before Judge Kamardin Hashim.

Koh said he, however, could not remember the actual time when Hare Krishnan was at the headquarters.

Athimulan: If I put it to you that in the evening it was about 5 pm. (Do you) agree?

Koh: Yes, approximately.

Athimulan: The one in the morning was about 11 am?

Koh: My Lord, I cannot remember exactly the time, but it was in the morning.

Hare Krishnan, 43; Sergeant Jaffri Jaafar, 46; Corporal Mohd Nahar Abd Rahman, 47, and Corporal Mohd Haswadi Zamri Shaari, 34, are charged with murdering Dharmendran, 32, in the D9 interrogation room on the 7th floor of the Kuala Lumpur Police Contingent headquarters in Jalan Hang Tuah between May 18 and 21, 2013.

(Dharmendran, who was detained for attempted murder, complained of chest pains and collapsed at 4.25pm on May 21, 2013 while in the police lock up.)

The policemen are charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code and face the death sentence upon conviction.
On Dec 2, 2014, Kamardin acquitted all four of them of the murder charge at the end of the prosecution case, without calling for their defence.

However, on Feb 26 this year, the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court’s acquittal and ordered the four policemen to enter their defence.

On April 28 this year, the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC), set up to investigate Dharmendran’s death, found that the detainee’s death was due to the use of physical force by the police.

The hearing continues tomorrow.
– BERNAMA