Fresh after the alleged custodial death of A Ganapathy, the families of 22 men detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) in 2019 at the Jelebu prison have demanded justice, citing "assault and torture" of the detainees.

In a recent press conference, the family members claimed that their detained kin were beaten with plastic pipes, sticks, chairs and objects, and had their private parts pepper-sprayed - rendering them unable to urinate or defecate.

Malay Mail quoted Elisha Teh, a family member of one of the detainees - B Kalaiarasan, saying that the 22 men, who were detained for suspected involvement in organised crimes, were brought to the prison in Negeri Sembilan, for quarantine.

"One of the prison officers ordered the detainees to sit. When they were sitting, suddenly an officer sprayed chilli on their faces," she reportedly told a recent press conference, held together with the families of other detainees.

When the detainees started questioning why they were sprayed unprovoked, another officer started beating the men with a PVC pipe, she alleged. After that more officers came in to the place and started beating the detainees with canes, chairs, and belts, Teh further claimed.

All the detainees are Indian men aged between 20 and 45.

According to Teh further, after of about an hour of beating, the detainees were herded into a room and ordered to undress, before pepper spray was allegedly sprayed on their genitalia.

The "torture" then went on for three hours - from 5pm to 8pm, all the while the men were lying down on the floor naked, she claimed.

After the ordeal was over, the men were just given painkillers instead of being taken to the hospital, she added.

Kalaiarasan's wife R Laviniya, who was also at the press cobference, lamented that she was three months pregnant when her husband was first detained over a year ago. Since then, he had undergone a lot of beating, she said, breaking down.

The mother of Nasaruddin Abdullah, another detainee is yet to see him since he was caught in 2019.

Rosni Kassim told the press conference that Nasaruddin is also yet to see his first born child.

It was double whammy for mother S. Athiletchumy - whose two sons, S Ravikumar, and Karthik, were among those detained.

The families pleaded for immediate solution to the case, as the men had been languishing in prison, undergoing alleged torture, without having charges filed against them.

The reason they were having the press conference now, the families added, is because they are afraid their kin may end up like A Ganapathy, who is the latest casualty of alleged police brutality.

Ganapathy died in the Selayang Hospital on April 18, after spending several days in police custody.

At the hospital, he ended up with an amputated foot and a kidney disease. Despite the questions raised and the backlash, the police have denied assaulting Ganapathy while in custody, and even warned the public against making any comments on the matter.


Source & Photo source: Malay Mail