AGC instructs Bukit Aman to complete custodial death probe soon
The Attorney-General’s Chambers has instructed Bukit Aman’s Criminal Investigation Unit for Deaths in Custody to complete its investigation into the death of M Manisegaran as soon as possible.
“This is to ensure the case can be referred to the Coroner’s Court soon to identify Manisegaran’s cause of death, and the full investigation report can then be referred to the AGC,” it said in a statement today.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers has instructed Bukit Aman’s Criminal Investigation Unit for Deaths in Custody to complete its investigation into the death of M Manisegaran as soon as possible.
“This is to ensure the case can be referred to the Coroner’s Court soon to identify Manisegaran’s cause of death, and the full investigation report can then be referred to the AGC,” it said in a statement today.
Manisegaran, a 41-year-old lorry driver, allegedly died under suspicious circumstances after being detained at the Bandar Sunway police station in Petaling Jaya earlier this year.
According to his wife, S Rajeswari, Manisegaran was detained for undisclosed reasons. She also claimed she was prohibited from entering the station, and the police officers had insisted she wait outside.
Shortly after, she saw an ambulance arriving, carrying her husband into the vehicle on a stretcher.
She also said that police officers had denied her request to follow the ambulance.
Eventually, nearly an hour later, an officer finally informed her that her husband had been taken to the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC). Rajeswari was later told that her husband had died.
She also claimed that the doctor who performed the post-mortem on her husband kept giving conflicting reasons, resulting in her not signing any documentation due to dissatisfaction.
Two days ago, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo called on the AGC to clarify allegations that the authorities failed to investigate Manisegaran’s death, nine months after the incident.
“I think it would be good for the attorney-general to explain why there was no action taken (as of now), since they are the custodian of public interest,” he added.
Gobind, a senior lawyer, added that death under custody must be investigated, as stated under Section 334 of the Criminal Procedure Code.
“The law states that an investigation is required if a death occurs in police custody,” he said.
