KUALA LUMPUR – Police have denied any connection with a CCTV video that has gone viral, allegedly showing officers assaulting two detainees under custody.
According to MalaysiaKini, Gombak district police chief Arifai Tarawe, the video clip did not involve his officers and was not linked to the death of A. Ganapathy, who died recently after being detained by police.
He said he strongly denied the claims and that harsh action would be taken against those who spread the video.
“There is a CCTV video going viral on social media which claims that the victim being beaten up is the late Ganapathy who passed away receiving treatment at Selayang Hospital,” Arifai was quoted as saying.
“The public is advised to stop spreading this video clip or relating it to Ganapathy’s case, which is under investigation.”
Stretching just under a minute long, the video shows eight men beating two men who are cornered in a small office room.
One of the men, clad in a blue shirt, is seen whipping the two victims with a rubber hose, while the others look on in amusement.
The video was reportedly dated January 28, 2021.
However, the 40-year-old victim had spent 12 days in police custody from February 24 to March 8 before he was sent to hospital.
The victim was treated for wounds on his legs, which led to the amputation of both limbs.
Earlier reports said his family also claimed that Ganapathy’s health deteriorated while under police custody, adding that they suspected he had been beaten while in police lockup.
His 60-year-old mother, S. Thanaletchumy, said the deceased had also suffered kidney problems, and that her son claimed police beat him with a rubber hose, MalaysiaKini reported.
Last week, Ganapathy died after spending a month under intensive care at Selayang Hospital.
The spread of the video on social media had fuelled speculation among netizens that the deceased was one of the victims in the video.
Outraged by the incident, several rights groups and Indian-based political party MIC had urged the Home Ministry to conduct an inquiry, and reiterated calls to set up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC). – The Vibes, April 29, 2021
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