Counsel N. Surendran speaks to the family of S. Balamurugan at the High Court in Shah Alam February 15, 2017. — Bernama pic

PUTRAJAYA, May 16 — Two police officers ignored the screams of three detainees who were being interrogated by their superiors out of fear of being insubordinate, a public hearing was told today.

Lance corporals Muhamad Anuar Nyat and Mohamad Sabri Abu Bakar, told the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) enquiry today that they would have been reprimanded if they had checked on the suspects who were being interrogated by their superiors from the Serious Crime Unit (D9) unit at the Klang Utara district police station.

The three suspects were deceased 44-year-old S. Balamurugan, an individual known as “Tamilarasan” and 17-year-old juvenile Ang Kian Kok.

“I was in another room nearby doing documentation. Then I heard them screaming in pain... I didn’t want to interfere and that’s why I didn’t check on them,” Mohamad Sabri told the hearing today.

When asked by EAIC Chairman Datuk Yaacob Haji bin Sam whether he did not check on the detainees out of respect for his seniors, Sabri simply nodded in agreement.

Yaacob also quizzed Anuar further on the matter, which the latter agreed that he had no intention of checking on the screams of the detainees.

According to Sabri, the duo was preparing a police report on the arrest of the three suspects in a separate room during that time.

“Our room was about a five-second walk from where the screams originated.”

Anuar told the inquiry that Balamurugan wasn’t injured after the interrogation session with the D9 officers at the Bandar Baru Klang police station.

“Balamurugan was sitting in the waiting area with Tamilarasan. He was falling asleep and I did not see any injuries on him.”

Sabri told the hearing that he knew Balamurugan had “heart problems” when the trio was first detained at Jalan Batu Belah, Klang.

“So, he was uncuffed when we reach the Bandar Baru Klang police station. But I did not tell the inspectors that Balamurugan had heart problems.”

Meanwhile, Anuar and Sabri, who were also from the Motorcycle Patrol Unit (URB), admitted they were unsure of the standard operating procedure (SOP) practised in their unit.

“I’m not sure... The SOP is not completed... I don’t think the URB has a SOP,” Sabri said.

Sabri also admitted that he didn’t jot down details of the trio’s arrest in his pocketbook, which was part of the SOP.

The hearing was told that there was a four-hour gap in Sabri’s pocketbook between 4pm and 8pm.

Sabri also noted that the trio was arrested at approximately 6.45pm and was brought back to the Klang Utara police station at about 7pm.

“I didn’t follow the SOP because I did not jot down the details of my actions in the pocket book.”

Sabri also revealed that an Inspector from the Klang district police station known as “Vicknesswaran”, approached him and demanded to “take Ang for a follow-up”.

“At 8pm, he wrote in my pocketbook that he wants to follow up on Ang.”

Balamurugan was arrested by the police on February 6 and found dead at the Klang Utara district police headquarters on February 8.

The public hearing is set to resume tomorrow with statements from the pathologists and forensic scientists involved in Balamurugan’s post-mortem.

The first autopsy carried out at the Klang Hospital indicated Balamurugan had died of “heart problems”. However, the second autopsy confirmed that his death was the result of “coronary artery disease with multiple blunt force injuries”.