KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Ipoh High Court has ruled that the police, medical authorities and the government were liable for the negligence that caused the death of S. Isparan, then 36, at the Sungai Siput police station lock-up two years ago.
English language daily The Star reported that Justice Lee Swee Seng ordered the defendants to pay Isparan’s family the full cost of the trial amounting to RM50,000, and fixed June 11 for case management to assess general and special damages.
In his judgment, he said the police should have sent the detainee immediately to a hospital when he complained of severe stomach pain on May 28, 2012 at 8pm, instead of providing treatment three hours later.
“I also doubt the accuracy of the examination by the assistant medical officer. Despite the detainee being in such pain, the vital signs were recorded as normal,” Lee was quoted as saying in the report.
He revealed that a post-mortem on May 29, 2012 showed that Isparan died due to a perforated ulcer.
The deceased was arrested on May 27, 2012 for drug use.
Isparan’s family filed the suit through counsel T. Manoharan against the three parties on July 11 last year.
