Four groups led by Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia (Prim) today submitted to Bukit Aman what they described as photographic evidence of alleged torture of a man by police before he died of gunshot wounds early on Jan 13.

The "evidence" included two photographs that show the hands of the deceased without all 10 fingernails.

Chief Inspector M Mariapan, who received the 26-page protest note at the police headquarters this morning, said it would be passed to Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mohd Bakri Omar.

Prim pro-tem secretary-general P Uthayakumar told reporters that the groups were seeking an explanation on the circumstances surrounding the alleged torture and death of golf caddy P Nagandren, 23, in Pandan Indah, Kuala Lumpur.

Specifically, they want to know why his fingernails were missing - his family discovered this after claiming the body from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia hospital and taking it home for the funeral.

There were also bruises and a cut on his forehead, a mark on his back which the family attributed to the body being dragged about, and a gunshot wound on his chest.

The protest note gave the police seven days from today to complete their investigations and forward their findings to the Attorney-General for an inquest to be carried out.

Copy to Pak Lah

Expressing disappointment that the police chief did not meet them, Uthayakumar said the groups were prepared to proceed with legal action if there is no response.

This would be on the basis that there has been no denial of the information provided in two police reports lodged to date on the incident.

Copies of the protest note have been sent to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, MIC president S Samy Vellu, de facto Law Minister Dr Rais Yatim, among other individuals and public-interest groups.

The note also called for the sacking or suspension of the Selangor police chief, Ampang OCPD and the policemen involved in the incident, to ensure that an independent investigation is conducted.

It further demanded an "unqualified, unequivocal and unreserved apology" to the widow, C Jaya Malar, 20 ( photo ), who is four months pregnant and has an eight-month-old baby. She claimed that her police report had been ignored.

Also present this morning was Suaram training and human rights support co-ordinator S Arutchelvan who said the police should engage more with civil society groups to address issues of concern to the public.

He said that, if police do not obtain feedback from civil society groups on such incidents, "it would eventually pit the public against the police".

"Even in South Korea, when someone died in custody about two years ago, the Attorney-General had to resign and the president had to apologise. It was a matter of national shame," he said.

Uthayakumar added that, last year, only one inquest had been held into custodial deaths.

Police account disputed

News reports on the Jan 13 incident quoted the police as saying they had opened fire on a lorry in which Nagendren and four others were travelling, after the driver ignored an order to stop and instead allegedly attempted to ram a patrol car in Pandan Indah.

Police said the men had been "behaving suspiciously" when ordered to pull over, but the driver had instead sped off, leading to a chase. The patrol car overtook the lorry and police personnel fired six shots after their order to stop were apparently unheeded.

Nagendren was said to have died on the spot, while the others were arrested. Police later said that weapons including knives and metal poles were found in the lorry.

This version of the incident was disputed by Jaya Malar who claimed, in her police report lodged on Jan 16 at the Brickfields station, that her husband "was arrested, tortured, (had) all his 10 fingernails pulled out and then (was) shot dead at close range near the Pandan Perdana flats".

She further claimed that the body was then "dragged and left near the grass (verge) near the lorry" near Perdana Safari.