POLICE are not responsible for 21-year-old Gopal Krisnan Rajalinggam dying while in remand last Wednesday, said Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador.

“I would have been informed immediately if cops are involved. In this case, there was no foul play, nor any criminal act (against the deceased).

“If there was, I would share it with the media, I will be transparent,” he said after officiating an event at the Cheras Police Academy this afternoon.

On Tuesday, Seberang Perai councillor and rights activist P. David Marshel had said Gopal had died because he was beaten while under remand in Sungai Petani, Kedah.

Yesterday, Kuala Muda police chief Adzly Abu Shah said no foul play was involved and that a post-mortem on Gopal showed that he had died due to bacterial infection of the heart valve.

“The cause of his death was due to bacterial infection of the heart valve (infective endocarditis),” said Adzly in a statement.

The post-mortem was conducted at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Star.

Gopal’s fiancée, Tan Sze Lin, 20, yesterday lodged a police report, in which she said on June 4, when she and Gopal’s mother visited him in prison, Gopal claimed that he was assaulted by the prison wardens.

Gopal was being investigated for a drug offence and was arrested in Penang on May 12 and placed at the remand prison while waiting for his next case mention.

“Gopal was crying when he told us that he was hit in the head. He had also told the wardens that he was feverish and was throwing up.

“The wardens then told Gopal to roll on a tarred road as they did not believe he was ill,” her police report read. – August 1, 2019.