• Widow files suit over husband�s death in police custody
  • K Kabilan
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  • A civil suit filed by a widow over the death of her husband, a Keadilan member, while in police custody last year was served on the government today.

    Suzana Md Aris served the summons of her suit to a representative of the Attorney-General at the AG's Chambers this afternoon.

    She has named Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai, Gombak OCPD Massari Hashim, Gombak Crime Division Chief Ishak Hussain and the government as the defendants in the suit.

    Suzana was accompanied by a small group of Parti Rakyat Insan Malaysia (Prim) members. The yet-to-be registered party is helping to take up the matter on Suzana's behalf.

    Prim pro-tem deputy secretary-general RN Rajah told malaysiakini that Norian, Massari and Ishak will individually be served separate summons tomorrow.

    In her suit, Suzana is claiming compensation of RM682,400 with interest from the defendants for the sudden death of Mohd Anuar Sharip, her husband, at the Selayang police lock-up on Aug 18 last year.

    In her statement of claim, Suzana said that Mohd Anuar was taken away by the police from their house in Batu Caves at midnight on Aug 10 last year and died eight days later allegedly due to police brutality.

    The statement was filed at the Kuala Lumpur Civil High Court by legal firm Kumar Hashimah & Co on May 19.

    Unlawful arrest

    She said in the statement that her husband was unlawfully detained by the police who also had conducted an illegal search of their house without finding anything.

    She also said that the family was not told the reasons for Mohd Anuar's arrest, adding that she was only informed the next day that Mohd Anuar will be detained for 14 days before being brought to the Rawang magistrate's court.

    However, she said, on Aug 18, the police had left a note at her mother's house asking the family to contact the Rawang police as Mohd Anuar had died.

    According to Suzana's statement of claim, her husband was fit and healthy and did not suffer from any disease prior to his arrest.

    She claimed that Mohd Anuar's post mortem report stated that he had suffered from "multiple laceration lesions over the neck, chest, abdomen and back region" and that a certain part of his stomach had a blue-black bruise suggesting that he was severely kicked or punched.

    Suzana said that she and her two children, aged nine and three, suffered from "injured feelings, loss of consortium, bereavement, loss of income, loss of business and reputation" as a result of Mohd Anuar's death.

    The defendants have eight days from today to respond to the suit.