Human rights lawyer P Uthayakumar who specialises in cases of alleged police violence today vowed to continue his struggle for social justice, despite his claims he has been subjected to police harassment.

"I am not discouraged by this at all," he told AFP .

"I was told that I was being very hard o­n the police and that I should slow down. But when it involves a life lost, somebody dying in custody or being shot, then it is the police who should slow down, not me."

Uthayakumar, a lawyer who has handled numerous cases of police brutality, was arrested last month after an inquest into the death of police detainee S Tharma Rajen.

Why the police took action against him was a mystery, the lawyer said.

"At all times, I discharge my duties as an advocate and solicitor and during that time I have represented numerous cases of deaths in police custody and shooting to death by police."

"We may have embarrassed the police and revealed their weaknesses," he said.

Crimininal intimidation

But Selangor police chief Mohamad Noor Hamat said police arrested Uthayakumar "for criminal intimidation" and that he had threatened a police officer.

Uthayakumar claimed that during his brief detention he was verbally abused by police, forced to strip to his underwear and photographed.

A senior police official contacted today declined to comment o­n Uthayakumar's allegation, saying the case was before court. The charges are due for court mention o­n Feb 20.

Uthayakumar said he has been released o­n bail o­n charges of contempt of court and criminal intimidation.

But the lawyer has lodged two reports against the police for his "unlawful arrest" and police harassment.

Spokesperson for rights group Voice of the People, Arutchelvan Subramaniam, said the charges against Uthayakumar were false.

"The police action against Uthayakumar is aimed to create fear and a public opinion that if you dare to do the kind of work he is doing then this is what will happen to you," he said.

Last year there were 18 deaths in police custody, he said. "That's o­ne death every two weeks. That is too much." - AFP