The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) will probe the death of S Balamurugan, who reportedly died in custody yesterday morning.

"EAIC views this incident seriously, following the custodial death of Soh Kai Chiok at Bera police district headquarters on Jan 18.

"Hence this investigation will be performed transparently, independently and free of prejudice," said EAIC chairperson Yaacob Md Sam in a statement today.

Balamurugan, 44, was confirmed dead at 6am yesterday, three days after he was detained at the North Klang district police station.

According to his family, who identified his body at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital, his face was covered in dried blood.

It was also reported that Balamurugan was bleeding severely on his face and had vomited blood when he was brought to the magistrate's court for his remand on Tuesday.

Despite the magistrate's order to release him or take him to the hospital, the police supposedly continued to detain him at the same police station, where he died the next day.

The family later learned from the pathologist that the cause of death was a possible heart failure.

They have refused to claim his body until a second post-mortem is performed.

Balamurugan's family lodged a police report earlier today, urging for a second post-mortem and for an immediate police investigation to be launched into his death.

His lawyer, Gerard Lazarus, had also lodged a police report on the same matter.

Gerard had earlier said that Balamurugan was arrested on Monday after he was found in the same car with two other men, one of whom was wanted by the police.

Task force formed

The EAIC, meanwhile, had formed a task force to investigate Balamurugan's death.

They will attempt to determine whether there was any wrongdoing by the police personnel during the arrest and his detention that led to his death.

They will also determine what laws, rules, standard operating procedures (SOP) and standing orders were broken in this incident.

They will also attempt to identify the individuals responsible for those crimes.

The last reported case of custodial death was Soh, 49, who was reported to have been found in an unconscious state before he was pronounced dead at 12.15am on Jan 18.

Soh was initially arrested on suspicion of stealing bananas and was being investigated under Section 379 of the Penal Code.

The EAIC has also said that they are investigating his custodial death as well.