Guna

This post is reproduced from herehttp://loyarburok.com/human-rights/try-me-human-rights/16-july-r-gunasegaran-die\d-teohs-body-found/
Joint statement by Civil Society On The Death in Police Custody Of R.Gunasegaran1.

Brief Facts
R. Gunasegaran, aged 31, was arrested on the evening of 16th July,2009 in Sentul.His family members were later informed that Gunasegaran had, that sameday, died, due to drug abuse-related causes.
Similarly, a copy of the burial permit, issued by the hospitalauthorities, states that Gunasegaran died from drug-related causes.A post-mortem has since been carried out.The family of the late Gunasegaran had requested for a copy of thepost-mortem report but have been informed that the same will only bemade available after:
i) the body of Gunasegaran, which is still in the Kuala LumpurHospital mortuary, is removed; and
ii) thereafter, after a formal application is made for a copy of the same.The family of the late Gunasegaran have been informed that it willtake about two months from the date of application for a copy of thesaid post-mortem report before a copy of the same will be madeavailable to them.
Since first learning of the death of Gunasegaran, the family of thedeceased have since been in contact with eye-witnesses to Gunasegaran's arrest and detention by the police authorities and havebeen informed that:
i) at the time of his arrest, Gunasegaran was subjected to physicalassault by a member of the police force; and
ii) at the Sentul police station, where Gunasegaran and several otherarrestees were taken, Gunasegaran was subjected to further assaults bythe same police officer who had assaulted him earlier, but with muchgreater severity, causing Gunasegaran to lose consciousness which henever regained until his death.

2. The Wishes Of The Family Of The Late Gunasegaran. We are given to understand that the family, quite understandably,wishes to remove the remains of the late Gunasegaran as soon aspossible, to perform the requisite religious rituals and thereafter toallow Gunasegaran the dignity of a proper cremation.Yet the family also needs to know the truth of why Gunasegaran is nolonger with them, given the information that has now come to them, andin this regard are desirous that the post-mortem report be immediatelymade available to them.

3. Civil Society ExpectationsIn the first instance, we extend our condolences to the family of thelate Gunasegaran.We also join the family in insisting that the post-mortem report bemade immediately available to the family of the late Gunasegaran.We also call for the holding of an inquest to look into the cause ofdeath of Gunasegaran.We also call on the authorities to put a stop to this practice ofdeferring the delivery of the post-mortem report to the next-of-kin,in "death in police custody" cases, until after the body has beenburied and or cremated. Given the suspicious circumstances of deathsin many of these cases, it is simply unacceptable that the next-of-kinin such cases should not be privy to this important report before thebody of the deceased is buried or cremated.
We also take this opportunity to reiterate the many calls by civilsociety for the long overdue establishment of the IPCMC. We feel thathad this Commission been set up some time back, the number of "deathin police custody" cases may not have been as numerous as we have hadto endure.Finally, we extend to the family of the late Gunasegaran a commitmentto render all assistance in getting to the truth of the circumstancessurrounding the death of Gunasegaran and, should an inquest or anyother investigation disclose an element of foul play leading toGunasegaran's death, to pursue justice for Gunasegaran and his family.____Gunasegaran:

One more who went down Teoh Beng Hock's road?
Funds needed for post-mortemhttp://jelas.info/2009/07/29/gunasegaran-one-more-who-went-down-teoh-beng-hocks-road-funds-needed-for-post-mortem/