‘Grisly pictures’ and 18-hour delay to inform family: Lawyers demand murder probe after shocking death in police custody

Lawyers representing the family of a 42-year-old man who was arrested by police last month and died in custody some 10 days later have questioned the silence from authorities surrounding his death, and called for an immediate murder investigation following revelations of severe head trauma and other injuries suffered by the victim.

Noorizwan Zulkefly was arrested and brought to the Cheras police headquarters on Sept 20, where he spent the next 10 days in the lock-up.

According to his brother Nooranis, the family had not been informed of Noorizwan’s arrest or whereabouts during the period he was held in custody.

He said the family only received a call from Bukit Aman at about 8pm on Oct 1 informing them that Noorizwan had died in police custody at 1.52am the same day, some 18 hours earlier, after he was brought to Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM).

“Even if my brother was wrong, even if my brother was a bad person, why was he treated like this? He was still a human being. He was a father,” asked Nooranis during a press conference yesterday held by Lawyers for Liberty, accompanied by family members, relatives, and lawyers N Surendran and Wan Nabilah Dina Wan Zamri.

Nooranis said the police could have easily informed them, adding that the family lived only about five minutes from the Cheras police station.

A forensic examination later revealed that Noorizwan had suffered extensive injuries across his body, with the most serious involving his head.

“There was extensive swelling of the head, especially in the brain membrane, which is the layer between his brain and his skull,” said Wan Nabilah, citing findings from a forensic pathologist.

“Because of this swelling, there was bleeding in the brain membrane, resulting in extensive damage to him and it could possibly have resulted in his death.”

'Grisly pictures'

She said Noorizwan had also suffered bruising and torn tissue on his back, chest, arms, legs and the soles of his feet, and that at least six ribs had been broken.

“There are quite grisly pictures of the bottom of his feet; the swelling was so bad that it could have been caused by extremely violent beatings.

“We were also told that the cause of death is believed to be ‘blunt force trauma’, or, in colloquial terms, he was beaten to death,” she added.

At the press conference, Surendran held up photographs of Noorizwan’s injuries, showing extensive swelling and bruises on the head, legs and feet, as well as injuries around the wrists.

“An ordinary, healthy person. And you have all seen what happened to him after 10 to 12 days of detention in the police lock-up. Now, the question is: who beat him?” he asked, and also questioned the long delay in informing Noorizwan’s family about his condition and subsequent death.

He said Noorizwan had remained in police custody from the date of his arrest until he was taken to HUKM, adding that the inspector-general of police and the government must provide an explanation to both the family and the public.

“This is not acceptable in Malaysia in 2026. This is one of the worst deaths in police custody that I have seen in many years,” said Surendran.

He said the case must be immediately classified as a murder investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

“If there is evidence, they must be brought to court and charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder,” he said.

He warned that the investigation should only be conducted by a high-level independent team from Bukit Aman.

“We do not want Cheras district police investigating the actions of Cheras district police themselves.”