Police: Detainee died of pneumonia

KUALA LUMPUR: The Integrity and Standards Compliance Department's (JIPS) Criminal Investigation Unit on Deaths in Custody has confirmed that the death of a detainee at the Pengkalan Chepa police station lock-up was due to pneumonia and was classified as sudden death.

Bukit Aman JIPS director, Datuk Azri Ahmad this was based on a post-mortem on the deceased which was conducted at the Raja Perempuan Zainab Hospital, Kota Bahru, yesterday.

"The post-mortem found no injury or criminal element and the cause of death was pneumonia. The death was classified as sudden death," he said in a statement, here, today.

However, Asri said JIPS would continue the investigation from various angles before submitting the findings of the investigation to the Deputy Public Prosecutor for further action.

Yesterday, JIPS was reported to have received a report on a 37-year-old local detainee who had died at 4.35 pm.

The detainee was arrested under Section 12 (2) and Section 15 (1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and was remanded for four days.

-- BERNAMA