KUALA LUMPUR: The family of Benedict Thanilas will receive a total of RM281,300 in damages over his death in the Jinjang police lock-up four years ago.
The High Court today awarded the amount after allowing a lawsuit brought by the deceased's wife N.Janagi and daughter B.Angeline against 23 members of the police force, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the government.
The family's lawyer M.Visvanathan said the order was made by judicial commissioner Quay Chew Soon during an online proceeding today.
Visvanathan said the court found that the case against the defendants was proven on the balance of probabilities.
"The court therefore ordered the defendants to pay RM281,300 in damages to the plaintiffs," he said.
The court also ordered the defendants to pay RM40,000 costs.
The family filed the suit in July last year claiming that Thanilas, 44, who was suffering from several illness had died due to negligence by the police in ensuring he had access to his medicines and medical attention while in custody.
It was previously reported that Thanilas was arrested on June 29, 2017, to assist investigations into a drug trafficking case and detained under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985.
He was found unconscious in his cell on July 10 the same year at the Jinjang police lockup and was pronounced dead at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
Last year, a Coroner's Court here ruled that the police officers' neglect had contributed into Thanilas' death and that the death could have been avoided if the deceased was given the medical attention he needed.