17-year-old Thiagaraj Chanmukam had the worst day of  his life on June 4 when he was allegedly assaulted and subsequently charged by the police - and all he did was glue his eyes on a gang fight.

He was following Hindu temple procession when his attention was grabbed by a fracas in front of an Internet cafe near Plaza Crystal Villa, Setapak Danau Kota.

Thiagaraj police assault case Thiagaraj Chanmukam A teenage acquaintance of his, who was involved in the fight, broke free and ran to him with a bag and asked him to throw it away.

Out fear, Thiagaraj ( right ) did so and a little later five plainclothes police officers approached and asked him if he was the "cike boy".

"When I admitted that was my nickname, they started attacking me.

"They asked for the bag, but in between the blows, I pointed to the spot where I had flung it, but they still continued beating me," he said.

The fifth-form student required two stitches to his head, suffered a fractured right finger, and bruises on his chest.

"Apparently the bag belongs to a policeman, but why did they have to victimise a kid for a crime that he was not responsible?" asked Thiagarajan Manivanan Gowin, a friend of Thiagaraj.

Detained for 36 hours and charged

The 12.45am incident was only a precursor to a worse nightmare, as Thiagaraj was detained by the police for 36 hours shortly after his treatment in the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

He was then charged at the magistrate court in Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur, under section 160 of the Penal Code for participating in a brawl.

The teenager was released on court bail of RM500 on June 5, and lodged a report against the purported police brutality on the same day.

Lawyers for Liberty campaigner Farida Mohd, who accompanied the teen to file a statement at the Setapak police station today, described the police decision to charge Thiagaraj as "strange".

"Maybe the police just want to cut it short and arrest anyone to close the case. How can a bystander even commit an affray?" she said when met outside the police station.

She added that police will arrange an identification parade soon for the five alleged assailants.

Also present at the station was Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran, who blasted the police for the alleged excessive violence against the lad.

"Had they interrogated the boy professionally, they would have known the truth.

"The police cannot behave like a jungle lord. If (Thiagaraj) is guilty, charge him in court," he said.

He added that stern action must be taken against the five alleged police 'black sheep' to ensure the force's integrity.