Police will seek a court order to conduct another post-mortem on the wire-man who died in a lock-up.

KUALA LUMPUR: A second post-mortem is set to be conducted on M Krishnan, a 37-year-old wire-man who died in police custody last Friday, police confirmed today.

Kuala Lumpur CID chief Senior Assistant Commissionner II Ku Chin Wah told FMT that an application would be made through the court.

“We will be applying for a second post-mortem to be done through the magistrate,” said Ku.

Previously, Federal Criminal Investigation Department principal assistant director (prosecution) Senior Assistant Commissioner Razali Basri said the court order was required to seek a second post-mortem. He said the family would require to bear the cost of the post-mortem.

Razali said this after he received a memorandum from Krishnan’s family asking the police to allow the second post-mortem on Monday.

However, N Surendran, lawyer for Krishnan’s family, said that a court order was unnecessary. He said all that was needed was for the police to say they had “no objections” to an autopsy.

“They (the police) are being dishonest. They are trying to mislead the public by saying we need to go to court. We did not go to the court in A Kugan’s case, and the police allowed it (second post-mortem,” he said.

(Kugan, 23, a suspected car thief, died in police custody on Jan 16 last year. A policeman was charged with causing grievous hurt to Kugan at the interrogation room at the Taipan police station in USJ, Subang Jaya. The policeman, constable V Navindran, will know on Jan 28 whether he would be required to defend himself in the case.)

Surendran was also the lawyer for the Kugan’s family.

“Asking us to go to court is simply a time-delaying tactic to frustrate the family. After today’s revelation, police should consent to a second post-mortem,” he said.

Today, a jailmate of Krishnan came forward and lodged a police report claiming that the latter was a victim of police brutality.

A Sargunan said he witnessed Krishnan being beaten up and even jumped on by policemen in boots. He also claimed Krishnan was denied medical assistance.

Krishnan was arrested with several others in Taman Miharja, Cheras, on Jan 3 under suspicion of drug possession.

Last Friday, Krishnan, a father of the six children, was found dead in the lock-up at the Bukit Jalil police station.

According to police, the initial post-mortem results showed the death was related to an ulcer, but Krishnan’s family has disputed this, claiming there were bruises on the body.

Krishnan’s family claimed he had bruises all over his back, an open cut wound on his right abdomen, and a bruise on his right eye.

Teoh El Sen | January 11, 2011

Freemalaysiatoday.com