'Malaysian Police poured boiling water on me': detainee~malaysiakini

Cruelty of Malaysian Police towards Indians

twenty-seven-year-old car park attendant has alleged that he was tortured during interrogation by police who beat him with a rubber hose and splashed boiling hot water on his body.
B Prabakar said he was picked up from his work place at Sri Hartamas on Dec 23 and taken for interrogation at the Brickfields police district headquarters where he was repeatedly beaten, kicked and stepped-on by at least 10 police personnel.

"I was first asked to identify some photographs of some people and when I failed to give them an answer, they started to beat me while uttering vulgarities. They then splashed boiling hot water on me," said Prakabar.

Prabakar today submitted a memorandum on the alleged abuse to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Musa Hassan at the Bukit Aman police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. He was accompanied by his family and PKR’s Kapar member of Parliament, S Manikavasagam.

"I was taken to a private clinic for treatment of the injuries sustained during the interrogation but the doctor asked me nothing and refused to show me the medication he giving me [...] he only spoke to the police officer who had accompanied me," he said.

Prabakar further said that during his five-day remand period, police had hung a long piece of cloth from the interrogation room ceiling and tied it around his neck while he stood on a chair. They then threatened to knock away the chair, he said.

Cousin still missing
Prabakar (left) was released from his remand on police bail by the magistrate’s court on Dec 28 pending a court appearance on Jan 11.

He said he did not show his injuries to the magistrate as he had been warned by the policemen that ‘severe action’ would be taken against him if he did so.

According to him, upon the release from remand he was offered RM500 to not lodge a report against the cops.

"When I refused to take the money, they forced it on me," said Prabakar who nevertheless made a police report on the alleged torture yesterday at the Sentul police district headquarters.

Prabakar said he was now worried over what has happened to his 18-year-old cousin, C Soloman, who was also picked up by police on the same day as him. His location to date is still unknown.

"I do not know what has happened to him. I'm not even sure if he is still alive," said a clearly upset Prabakar.

Manikavasagam blasted the police for abusing their powers by detaining and torturing people.

"They did not even take him to the general hospital in Kuala Lumpur for treatment.

"Instead, they took him to some private clinic to cover-up the abuse and also attempted to shut him up by attempting to bribe him," said Manikavasagam.

Independent commission mooted
The MP said Prabakar’s memorandum insisted that the IGP form an independent commission to investigate police abuses against innocent people and take severe action against personnel who were involved in abuse and corruption.

Manikavasagam said that the incident was another example of police brutality not unlike what had happened to a 24-year-old Francis Udayappan who was found dead in the Klang River after being in police custody for a month in 2004.

S Pathmawathy
malaysiakini
01/01/09