Police: Rape suspect cut himself with blade

SEREMBAN: A rape suspect, who was being taken to court in a police vehicle from the Nilai police station to be remanded, had cut himself with a blade, requiring him to receive 50 stitches.

State police chief DCP Datuk Jaafar Mohd Yusof said the incident was witnessed by 14 other suspects who were being transported in the same Black Maria to be remanded for other offences on May 25.

"The suspect is lying that he had no knowledge how he had sustained the life-threatening cuts to his neck and wrists.

"We have ample evidence to show that he had cut himself up with the blade which he hid in a sling bag," he said at a press conference here Sunday, adding that the incident happened about 1km before the Seremban court complex.

The 25-year-old suspect had lodged a report on June 2 claiming that he had been assaulted by several officials from the Home Ministry after being arrested at a store in Bandar Baru Nilai where he was employed at about 3am on May 25.

He alleged that he lost consciousness after he was assaulted by policemen at the Nilai police station.

The suspect claimed that he only regained consciousness at the high dependency ward of the Tuanku Ja'afar Hospital on May 26 and realised that he had sustained injuries, which required him to be given 50 stitches.

DCP Jaafar said one of the cops accompanying the suspects had to stop the accused from further injuring himself.

"The policemen, who was seated at the rear end of the Black Maria entered the enclosure where the suspects sat, and stopped the accused from further injuring himself.

"By then, the accused had lost a lot of blood and was straightaway rushed to the hospital," he said, adding that police were unable to obtain a remand order for him to allow him to be treated.

Police detained the suspect after a 13-year-old girl lodged a report alleging that she had been raped by the suspect. "The girl lodged the report of the alleged rape on April 13,” DCP Jaafar said.

He also denied claims by the suspect that the officers who had arrested him were from the Home Ministry.

"They were from the Nilai station and were acting on a report lodged by the girl," he said.

DCP Jaafar said apart from the alleged rape, the police were now investigating the suspect under section 309 of the Penal Code for attempted suicide.

"We will also investigate him for lodging a false report," he said, adding that police were expected to arrest the suspect soon.