Mother Perform Son’s Death Prayer in Front of Police Station
Sara Lily performing the fifth year prayer infront of IPD Brickfeilds for her late son Francis Udayapan who was tortured and murdered in Brickfields Police Station. Accompanying her is Police Watch Malaysia Coordinator Jayathas.
DETAILED INFORMATION:
The body of G. Francis Udayapan (24) was found in the Klang River at around 6:00 pm on 23 May 2004. It was covered with deep bruises. His mother Sara Lily George has identified the body as that of her son on 25 May 2004. Udayapan, who could not swim, was expected to be released the day after his disappearance.
G. Francis Udayapan had been arrested and taken into police custody at the Brickfields Police Station on suspicion of an alleged theft of a mobile phone and the use of a stolen motorbike on 14 April 2004. The Brickfields police claimed that Udayapan escaped on 16 April 2004 by jumping out of the first floor window and jumped into the Klang River behind the police station while he was taken for the interrogation. On 22 April 2004, investigations into his disappearance were taken over by Bukit Aman Police Headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, which later ruled out foul play.
However, Udayapan’s mother insisted that her son might die in police custody due to the torture by the police and could have been dumped into the river to cover up his death. She and NGO groups questioned that how the discovered body looked too good and too intact for one that has been submerged in water for 37 days (the amount of time that elapsed since Udayapan allegedly jumped into the Klang River). Udayapan’s mother has also complained that her family and lawyers have apparently been harassed by the police over their allegations concerning her son’s death. It’s reported that she has refused to take back Udayapan’s body until she receives a post-mortem report.
