Dharmendran's wife wants cops' immediate arrest

The wife of death in custody victim N Dharmendran is upset that the policemen linked to his death have not been suspended, calling for them to be immediately arrested.

"They have murdered my husband. They should be in a lock up, not having a desk jobs. They do not deserve it. By right, they should be hung to death,” said S Marry.

"If the public were to kill someone, would they still be walking free? This is the police committing murder," said the teary mother of a two-year old son.

Yesterday Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was tentative with calls for the policemen being probed for the 31-year-old’s death to be suspended from duty instead of being assigned desk jobs, saying it had to be handled “delicately” lest the police force be demoralised.

Dharmendran had allegedly gone to the police station to lodge a report over a fight, but had ended up being detained and died in custody, initially said to be from “breathing difficulties”.

However an autopsy at Kuala Lumpur Hospital on May 22 concluded the cause of death as blunt force trauma.

Police have since classified Dharmendran's death as murder under section 302 of the Penal Code.

Nigel Aw Msiakini
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'A handcuffed Dharmendran suffered 52 injuries'

Tharshinaa Chandran
12:46PM Jun 1, 2013

Death in custody victim N Dharmendran was defencelessly beaten to death while handcuffed, suggests the preliminary report of post-mortem examination revealed today.

The written report by forensic pathologist Dr Siew Sheue Feng from Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) concluded that there were no defensive wounds found on Dharmendran’s body.

“It was quite clear that during his beating he was handcuffed, and in a lower position, possibly kneeling or something,” family lawyer N Surendran said at a press conference at PKR HQ today.

Dharmendran had sustained 52 marks of injury throughout his body, ranging from head to toe.

Surendran declared that this was “even worse than A Kugan’s case” in 2009.

According to the autopsy, a group of double ‘tramline' bruises, believed to be from rotan marks, were found in a parallel oblique pattern on his lower back and posterior.

"We can only speculate but these look like rotan marks, or something similar," Surendran said.

A patterned bruise, resembling an incomplete number 8 was found on his hip bone.

There was also another double ‘tramline' bruise on Dhamendran's wrist-hand consistent with handcuff marks.

The autopsy also reported numerous blackened bruises on his face, the chest area, shoulders, legs, scalp and back, which Surendran described as "overlapping bruises".

His abdomen, below the kidney area, loins, and navel also carried similar marks .

Both Dhamendran's ears were found with staple wounds with the staples still there while his legs had puncture wounds, also believed to be from staples that had been removed.

"These are consistent staple wounds, and this indicates that they had used a stapler to torture him," Surendran said.

Some other bruises found on Dhamendran's body were:A thick blood clot on his lower right thigh, measuring 28 x 20 cm.

• An extensive blood clot on his left thigh, measuring 50 x 31 cm.
• Bruise measuring 23 x 14 cm on lower left leg.
• Blood clots measuring 9 x 6.5cm on left half of his face.
• Patchy bruises on his neck and upper chest, measuring 13 x 8cm.

While the police have classified Dharmendran's death as murder under section 302 of the Penal Code, the four officers being probed are still serving desk duties.

Today Dharmendran’s widow took offence that the perpetrators were still walking free and demanded they be immediately arrested.

Dharmendran's death recalls similar circumstances surrounding 22-year-old A Kugan's in 2009 (right).

The youth was detained over alleged car theft and died in custody of horrific mulltiple wounds to his entire body and internal organs, although police originally claimed he died of an asthma attack.

 Dr Siew concluded in her report that the overall pattern of these injuries revealed that they were neither self-inflicted nor accidental in nature.

Surendran also concluded that it meant that Dhamendran had been in good health when he first entered the lockup.

"Dhamendran was beaten on every part of his body, and not one inch was spared," he added.

"We can only imagine the pain and agony he endured during the last moments of his life as he was (allegedly) handcuffed and beaten to death.

"He was a man with hopes and dreams, a heart and a family. And they (police) took everything away from him."