Suaram’s executive director Sevan Doraisamy said Mitheswaran Kumar was remanded several times from Feb 26 to March 11 for investigation into multiple offences, including burglary and drugs.
Since March 12, the 18-year-old has been detained under the Prevention of Crime Act (Poca).
Sevan accused the police of applying for a new remand order a number of times after failing to get the evidence required to charge him for his alleged offences.
Mitheswaran was arrested at Bukit Mertajam at 12pm on Feb 26. He was initially investigated under the Dangerous Drugs Act.
Subsequently, he was remanded under Section 457 of the Penal Code for burglary.
Sevan said Mitheswaran had been taken on a “roadshow” and was detained in different police lock-ups during this period.
He was first taken to the Machang Bubok station on Feb 26, and later taken to the Bandar Perda district police headquarters. He was then brought to the Hi-Tech police station (March 6), Kulim district police headquarters (March 7) and back to the Bandar Perda district police headquarters (March 11) before being detained under Poca.
Sevan said based on the chronology, the magistrates seemed to be granting remand orders so long as there was a fresh investigation.
“This clearly shows there’s no check and balance because the magistrates had failed to see the abuse of power. What is more worrying is that the magistrates only acted as a ‘rubber stamp’ for the police to use Poca against a minor,” he told reporters after submitting a memorandum to Suhakam at its headquarters today.
Further, he added, there were multiple breaches of human rights of an arrested person. Sevan claimed Mitheswaran had been tortured with electrical shock during police detention.
Meanwhile, Mitheswaran’s mother, Priscilla Devi Thurai, 48, said she was asked by police to cover the food expenses of her son while he was in custody.
“They asked me to buy food and give money to them,” she told reporters.
Suhakam commissioner Jerald Joseph, who accepted the complaint, said the issue of “chain remand” had been under the radar of Suhakam for some time.
He said that even though remand orders were legal, police investigations should be more efficient and effective to avoid a “chain remand”.