Lawyers for the family of custodial death victim S Balamurugan want the case classified as murder and for investigations to be carried out swiftly and independently.

N Surendran and Latheefa Koya in a statement today said four days have passed since Balamurugan's death at the North Klang Police Station and yet, not a single police personnel have been arrested or even suspended.

The duo said only police personnel at the station had access to the victim and there was sufficient reasons to suggest a murder

“Taking into account all the... factors, including that bruises have been reported with authority and the victim has died, it is our view that police should classify the case as a murder investigation.”

They cited how Balamurugan's family had lodged a police report indicating bruises on the victim's body, and that the pathologist who performed the autopsy had confirmed this.

“And lawyer Gerard Lazarus has lodged a police report revealing that he had information that Balamurugan had been assaulted.

“However, four days on, not a single police personnel have been arrested or even suspended over Balamurugan's death.

“It is fundamental that those police personnel implicated be at least suspended pending investigation. Why is this not done?

“This is despite the fact that it was only police personnel who had custody and access to Balamurugan between his arrest on Monday Feb 6 and his death late on Tuesday night. No one else did,” said the lawyers.

Lazarus, who was the victim's lawyer during the remand hearing, in his police report stated that the magistrate had ordered Balamurugan to be released and taken to a hospital, and that Balamurugan had coughed up blood during the proceedings.

“Yet, it is an indisputable fact that Balamurugan was neither released nor hospitalised, but died in police custody that night.

“What was the reason he was not released despite the magistrate's order?” asked the duo.

Surendran and Latheefa said in view of the “clear facts”, an inquest is unnecessary.

“Instead, there should be a swift criminal investigation and consequent prosecutions,” they said, citing section 333(3) of the CPC that provides that an inquest becomes unnecessary once criminal proceedings are instituted.

The lawyers therefore said on behalf of the family, the authorities should classify the case as murder and arrest or at least suspend all police personnel involved in the case.

Latheefa later told Malaysiakini that a special taskforce has been set up by IPK Selangor to investigate Balamurugan's death.

"Both the brother and sister-in-law of death-in-custody victim Balamurugan will be giving their statement to the police today at 5pm at IPD South Klang," she said.

Selangor CID chief Fadzil Ahmat confirmed that the taskforce had been formed.

According to Bernama yesterday, over 10 police officers at the said police headquarters are under investigation, but none had been suspended as investigations were ongoing.

Balamurugan, 44, had reportedly died in custody on Wednesday, after being picked up on Monday when he was found in the same car with two other men, one of whom was wanted by the police.

Custodial deaths must stop at Balamurugan, the 243rd victim