Hospital Refuses To Release Body Of Dead Detainee

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Surendran Shanker died in hospital yesterday, a month after being moved to the Simpang Renggam prison.PETALING JAYA: The Kluang Hospital is refusing to release the remains of Surendran Shanker, the latest custodial death casualty, to his family on grounds that the 21-year-old died of Covid-19.
However, the family’s lawyer K Ganesh feels there is something amiss in the case.
“It does not make sense at all. If he tested positive, the hospital could have sealed his casket to prevent the virus from spreading,” he told FMT, referring to the post-mortem report.
“Something is clearly not right here.”
Surendran Shanker.Ganesh said he would lodge a police report and demand that a second post-mortem be conducted.
Surendran’s family, he said, only wanted his remains returned to them.
Surendran became the latest death-in-custody casualty when he died at Kluang Hospital yesterday, less than a month after being moved to the Simpang Renggam prison.
He was arrested on a drug charge last year and remanded for four days before being detained under the Prevention of Crime Act.
He was sent to the Muar rehabilitation centre last August, which was the last time his family saw him.
Surendran, who turned 21 in January, was then transferred to the Simpang Renggam prison on April 25.
According to prison officials, Surendran died from “septic shock with multiple organ failure”.
His death comes just a month after that of cow’s milk vendor A Ganapathy on April 18 and security guard S Sivabalan on May 20. Both of them died in hospital after being held at the Gombak police station.
FMT is seeking comment from the police and the hospital. - FMT

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