Suspect who died in police custody assaulted while in cell, inquest finds
PETALING JAYA : An odd-job worker who died in police custody five years ago had been assaulted by other inmates, an inquest revealed.
Coroner Sazlina Shafie said the police failed to properly monitor G Jestus Kevin, who was sick when he was arrested.
And Kevin's condition worsened when he was placed in a cell together with other inmates.
'He was assaulted while in the cell and under the care and control of the police.
'A post-mortem report revealed he died of blunt force trauma, cardiomyopathy and liver steatosis,' she said in her findings, which was read out today in the Kuantan coroner's court.
Sazlina also said Kevin was unattended after he was beaten up.
She said Kevin could have been saved if the police had brought him to the hospital to be treated for meningoencephalitis – the inflammation of the membranes of the brain and the adjoining cerebral tissue.
Instead, she said, he was placed in a cell together with other detainees.
'Based on the findings, I declare that a known person/persons were responsible for his death.'
Deputy public prosecutor Azizah Ahmad assisted in the inquiry while lawyers M Visvanathan and Sanjay Visvanathan held a watching brief on behalf of Kevin's family.
Kevin and another suspect, M Pathmarajah, were arrested by the police for theft on April 2, 2020, and were remanded for four days pending investigation.
Kevin became delirious at around 9pm, two days after his arrest, while being held in a cell.
Two years ago, Kevin's father, A Ganaprakasam filed a negligence suit against the police and government after his 30-year-old son died in the police lockup in Bentong, Pahang.
He also brought an action for the tort of misfeasance by the police.
In the suit filed in the Kuantan High Court, Ganaprakasam, who is also the administrator of his son's estate, is seeking damages and compensation for loss of earnings and support.
The plaintiff named 13 policemen, the Bentong police chief, the inspector-general of police and the government as defendants.
He has also named two inmates, Shaiful Zakaria and Azril Yusof, who are said to have caused his son's death.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
4 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Tussle over custody behind 6-year-old's murder, say police
Family members awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination in Rembau on July 29 after the body of M Tishant was found in Jempol. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Family matters, including arguments over child custody, are believed to be the main motive behind the murder of six-year-old M Tishant, according to Negeri Sembilan police. State police chief Ahmad Dzaffir Yussof said the police had not discovered any other motive so far. He said the boy's parents were in the process of getting separated and were battling for custody, according to a Kosmo report. Dzaffir said that Tishant's body had been buried in Jempol as the suspect was familiar with the area. The boy was reported missing at Taman Bukit Indah in Johor on July 24 but was found buried in Jempol four days later. The body was discovered after Tishant's 36-year-old father was arrested. An autopsy found that he had been strangled to death with a cable tie.
Free Malaysia Today
4 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Johor cops to charge father of boy found buried in Negeri Sembilan
The boy, who was reported missing at Taman Bukit Indah in Johor on July 24, was found buried in Jempol, Negeri Sembilan, four days later. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : Johor police will file two charges against the father of six-year-old A Tishant, whose body was found buried in Jempol, Negeri Sembilan, last month. State police chief M Kumar said the 36-year-old man will be charged in a Johor Bahru court with assaulting his wife and filing a false missing person's report, Utusan Malaysia reported. However, he said, the charges will only be filed after the murder probe by the Jempol police headquarters is completed. 'In Johor, the investigation against the suspect only involves Sections 323 and 324 of the Penal Code; Section 18 of the Domestic Violence Act 1994 read together with Section 326A of the Penal Code for allegedly assaulting his wife, as well as Section 31(1) of the Child Act 2001. 'We have already received instructions to charge the suspect, and this will be done after the murder investigation under Section 302 is completed,' he was quoted as saying at a press conference at the Johor police headquarters today. Tishant was reported missing in Taman Bukit Indah, Iskandar Puteri, on July 24. His body was found four days later, after his father's arrest. An autopsy revealed the boy was strangled with a cable tie. Kumar said police first received a report from the suspect's wife on July 22, alleging domestic abuse and that the man had taken their only child away. He said the suspect was arrested but later released on police bail. He then filed a report claiming he had left his son alone in the car and returned to discover that the boy was missing. However, inconsistencies in his statement led to his re-arrest and, after further questioning, the child's body was discovered.
Free Malaysia Today
6 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Missing boy found dead, father arrested in Johor
Health personnel removing the boy's body after it was found buried in Rompin. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : A six-year-old boy reported missing at Taman Bukit Indah in Johor last Thursday is believed to have been murdered after his body was found buried in Rompin, Jempol, today. Negeri Sembilan police chief Ahmad Dzaffir Yussof said the body was found following the arrest of the boy's 36-year-old father. He said the arrest led to the discovery of the buried body, with investigators suspecting he was murdered. 'Jempol police received information regarding the discovery of the body in Rompin at about 4.30pm today,' he was quoted as saying by Harian Metro. 'The case was initially classified under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 as a missing person's case. It is now being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.' The body was sent to Rembau Hospital for a post-mortem. Earlier, Iskandar Puteri police chief M Kumarasan said they received a report on the child's disappearance from the boy's father at 2.15am on July 24.
