The same headlines are back. Indian youth(s) shot by police. As usual, it is always 'a case self defense', and the dead are 'known to have a criminal history'. The usual miracle of course, not one cop has a scratch, not one suspect is spared. Just how does one define 'criminal history' by the way? Did those arrested have a record of past convictions? Does that amount to criminal history? Or did they merely have their name jotted down in some detective's diary as suspects in some yet unsolved case?
To make matters worse, the sister of one of the accused, in a fit of madness after hearing of her brother's demise, decides to end her own life with paraquat. But not before feeding her four children with it! She just died this afternoon, while her children are still warded. Sad. Stupid, but sad.
Whatever it is, extrajudicial killing is murder. Nothing less and nothing more. It is something that cannot be tolerated. The police are paid with taxpayer's money. We, the rakyat, pay you, the police, to serve us! Not shoot us. If someone does something wrong, arrest them, charge them!
Within days of the Famous Five, another guy gets killed. Deva gang's leader they say. Fancy that. I always thought Deva Gang's leader would be a guy called Deva. Anyway, whatever his name, he's dead now. No questions, no answers. Dead.
That's not all. In Johor, we have a case of a mentally unstable man, who allegedly killed his own mom, dead in police custody, hanging himself with a pillowcase. Why was a mentally unstable murder suspect given a pillow case which he can use to hang himself, apart from many other things, in the first place? I didn't know that was a luxury we provided in our lockups!
The sad truth is, this is not the first time we hear such stories, and it will not be the last, unless something concrete is done. Let's put an end to this once and for all. Bring the IPCMC. Enough delaying. Install cameras in all police patrol cars. It will cost peanuts compared the other rubbish we waste government money on!
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