Death in custody is not something new and judging from the reported cases, it is not the end. As of last night (20 February), a total of 10 custodial death have been reported by Bukit Aman this year alone.
This time, it involves a 49-year-old man who was arrested for drug offences. According to a statement released by Bukit Aman’s Integrity and Standards Compliance Department, he was charged in court on 7 February, before being locked up in the Seri Alam police station in Johor.
On 16 February, he was sent to Hospital Sultan Ismail for further treatment after complaining of breathing difficulties around 12:45pm. However, he was found unconscious in the lockup 3 days later (19 February). A coroner was present and confirmed his death before bringing his body to the same hospital for postmortem.
The next day (20 February), the deceased was found out to be positive for Covid-19. As of now, the cause of death has not been determined yet and the police are currently awaiting lab results and analysis reports. The case will also be probed together with the Criminal Investigation Unit on Deaths in Custody.
Stay tuned for more updates!
Also read: M’sian Dies of Alleged Heart Attack In Police Custody, Family Only Finds Out 53 Days Later
