Ten security guards have filed a civil action against the government seeking damages amounting to RM3.75 million after they were shaved bald while in police custody.

The men, along with two other women guards, are also suing the police for wrongfully detaining them for three days for having denied a car from entering an apartment complex in Selangor.

The last June incident drew immense media attention when it was revealed that

the male guards had their heads shaved bald.

"The police have to take the blame for having allowed this," said their lawyer P Uthayakumar after filing the affidavits at the Shah Alam High Court today.

"They were chained like slaves in a small prison cell along with 127 other inmates," he added.

The defendants named in the suit are Kajang district police chief Mohamad Noor Hakim Kassim, former inspector-general of police Mohd Bakri Omar and the government.

On June 22 last year, a resident at Venice Hill Condominium complained that his car was denied entry into the condominium after he refused to pay for a newly installed toll system. The resident then lodged a police report, prompting the arrests which were made later that evening.

Normal procedure

Three of the ten guards turned up at the court today. The men are seeking RM375,000 each in damages including RM25,000 each for having their heads saved. In addition, the two female security guards are seeking RM350,000 each.

The guards said the shaving incident contravened the Malaysia Prison Ordinance and Lock-Up Regulations.

The case is similar to a group of 11 men who were shaved bald by the police after being arrested for playing mahjong on the second day of Chinese New Year in early February.

They were picked up for being allegedly involved in illegal gambling and taken to the Kajang police headquarters.

They claimed that while in the lock-up, police personnel shaved their heads after they were forced to strip to their underwear.

Noor Hakim had said it was normal lock-up procedure to shave a detainee's head and the police will continue with the procedure.