According to the charge sheet, Mohaneswaran allegedly injured Balamurugan, 44, while trying to force him to admit to an offence under Section 395/397 of the Penal Code.
Mohaneswaran, who served at the Klang Selatan district police headquarters, is alleged to have committed the offence between 7pm and 9.13pm on Feb 6 at the Bandar Baru Klang police station.
His charge is framed under Section 330 of the Penal Code and carries a jail term of seven years and a fine on conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor G Saraswathy asked for bail to be set at RM3,000 but magistrate Rozianti Mohamed Hanaphi reduced it to RM1,200 after Mohaneswaran’s counsel Rajehgopal Vellu argued that his client was a bachelor and did not have much savings.
The case will be re-mentioned on Nov 16.
Balamurugan was detained on Feb 6 and taken to Klang Utara district police headquarters.
The following day, while at the Klang magistrate’s court awaiting his remand hearing, Balamurugan told his family and lawyer that he had been beaten by the police in the lockup, and complained of difficulty in breathing and bleeding.
On Feb 8, about 6am, two policemen arrived at Balamurugan’s house and informed his wife, Natthanan Yoochomsok, 38, that her husband had died.
His younger brother, S Balraj, went to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah in Klang to identify the body and was shocked to see dried blood on his face, but he was not allowed to examine the whole body.
The hospital’s pathologist said Balamurugan died of heart failure.