Acting Perak police chief Zulkafli Sariaat said 82 people have given their statements to assist in the probe, including two prison officers, Berita Harian reported.

Eighty more, all of them inmates, would have their statements recorded, he added.

“Many reports have been made but the case will be escalated to Bukit Aman and a transparent investigation will be held,” he said, adding that for now investigations are being held under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

There were claims that over 60 prison wardens had assaulted more than 100 prisoners in Taiping prison recently, allegedly leading to the death of one inmate.

The families of the victims had lodged reports, claiming that they were barred from visiting the detainees, with the prison giving the excuse that the inmates were currently undergoing quarantine.

Separately, the prisons department confirmed that a “provocation” had occurred recently involving inmates being transferred from the Batu Gajah correctional facility to Taiping prison.

It said a police report had been lodged and investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.

“The department will not compromise and will take stern action on the party responsible if it is found that there was negligence or weakness in officers following procedures when carrying out their duties,” it said.

In a statement, the department also urged the public against spreading unverified information on the incident.