They have been released by the police after being detained for a week but they would not withdraw their court application to revise their original remand order.

Why?

P Waytha Moorthy, lawyer for the three released yesterday, explained: "While the appeal to review the remand order is now purely academic, it is still necessary for the application to remain as this would deter police officers from seeking future orders blatantly".

"The pressure put on the police by the revision application, plus the reports against the police by the wife of the deceased (the fourth person who died in detention) has sent a strong message against such unnecessary remands," he said.

The four were arrested by the police in Seremban on March 10 in connection with a suspected house-breaking case.

According to the police, a stolen motorcycle was found from the home which was broken into. However, the owner of the motorcycle and the burglarised house had not identified the four men as the perpetrators. The men who had committed the crime were said to have not worn masks.

One of them, identified as 33-year-old S Manimaran, died after seven hours in custody purportedly from a heart attack as stated in the death certificate.

'A wasted death'

However, the deceased's wife later lodged a police report accusing the police of beating him to death based on his flawless medical record and the sighting of bruises on the body.

The other three are said to be the deceased's wife's 16-year-old son and her two brothers.

Commenting on the incident, Waytha said, "It is a wasted death".

"He and the others were taken in right away by the police without proper investigation," he added.

The lawyer believes his clients were subjected to police beatings as they carried bruise marks on their bodies.

Waytha's claims had earlier been reported to the Police Watch and Human Rights Committee (PWHRC), who had sent a letter, dated March 16, to the Malaysian Royal Police Commission.

"The photographs taken (of the body) shows bruises on various parts. This is the last straw. We have lost all confidence in the police force in investigation their own crimes," PWHRC said in its letter, a copy of which was made available to malaysiakini .

The organisation accused the police of covering up the actual circumstances resulting in the death.

The urged the police commission to immediately hold an independent inquiry into the death and to take appropriate action against the police officers if found responsible for the death.

Met later, PWHRC chairperson RN Rajah urged the commission and members of human rights organisations to support this case and not to turn a blind eye to it as the deceased was a Malaysian Indian.

A majority of cases of deaths in custody involve youths and men from the Indian ethnic minority.