No evidence to conclude Police misconduct in AbdulBasith’s death- PIC

The Police Integrity Commission has said that there is no evidence to conclude that Police should be made accountable for the death of Abdulla Basith Zubair, of Raiyvilla Dhoadhi/Seenu atoll Hithadhoo, while under police custody.

Abdulla Basith Zubair was found dead early morning of January 14, 2011 while in police custody.

The drug suspect who was 20 years old went to Veymando enroute to his home atoll Addu Atoll. Basit who was mistaken for sleeping was taken immediately to the hospital when the police found that he was not pulsating.

Doctors confirmed his death and said that 3 hours must have passed since his death and his delivery to the hospital. The 20 year old suspect was taken to custody while caught red handed with alleged drugs.

After investigating the case PIC noted ten points. They were:1- Before departure from Male’, AbdulBasith used Hashish oil and a controlled drug known as “Night10”, he used Brown Sugar in Veymandoo, a witness gave testimony that he was present when the Police made the urine test, and he saw that AbdulBasith’s urine results were positive to drugs; 2- Laboratory tests on AbdulBasith’s urine and blood showed that he had used Opiates, Cannabis and benzodiazepine; 3-Investigation Officer’s testimony said that 2 packets of alleged drugs were found in the restroom AbdulBasith was caught red handed using the drugs; 4- All police officers involved in the case said that no force was used during the arrest; 5- A person who was present in the same detention cell as AbdulBasith said that he witnessed nothing unusual and AbdulBasith was found dead when he was called for morning tea, 6- A person who was in the detention cell next to the cell where AbdulBasith was kept said he heard nothing unusual and he is unaware that anything unusual happened there, 7- Guards on duty testified that they checked the cell of AbdulBasith every 15 or 20 minutes and witnessed nothing unusual, 8- Lance Corporal who came for morning duty’s testimony said that he called AbdulBasith for morning tea but found him unresponsive so took AbdulBasith to hospital in less than 5 minutes with the help of other officers; 9- AbdulBasith’s X-ray showed no injuries to his bones, the Commission members who investigated the case found no apparent injuries on his body and 10-the doctor’s medico-legal report says that there were no injuries on the body and cause of death was ‘Cardio-respiratory Arrest.”

PIC concluded that there was no evidence to make the Police accountable for the death of AbdulBasith. PIC recommended the Home Ministry to arrange emergency medical facilities in Police Custodials.