KUALA LUMPUR – The high court has ruled that 25 defendants have to pay Benedict Thanilas’ family RM281,300 in a civil suit against the police, inspector-general of police and the Malaysian government, after the victim died in 2017 in police custody.
The payment for damages include:
1) Cost of issuance of letters of administration: RM5,500
2) Funeral expenses: RM4,000
3) Bereavement compensation: RM30,000
4) Dependency claim: RM91,800
5) Compensation for pain and suffering: RM50,000
6) Aggravated damages: RM100,000
The court also ruled that the defendants have to pay RM40,000 in legal costs to the plaintiffs.
The decision was delivered at 9.10am today via an online session by judge Quay Chew Soon as he found that the plaintiffs have proven “balance of probabilities”.
Last September, the coroner’s court ruled that the death of drug suspect Benedict, 44, in police custody could have been avoided if he had been given the medical attention he needed, reported Free Malaysia Today.
He was found unconscious in his cell at the Jinjang police lock-up on July 10, 2017. Police had said he was detained under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985.
The coroner’s court ruled that neglect by the authorities had contributed to his death.
Lawyer M. Visvanathan, representing Benedict’s family, was quoted as saying that there was no evidence the suspect was involved in drug trafficking.
Benedict left behind his wife and five children. – The Vibes, September 13, 2021
