By Farik Zolkepli

JOHOR BARU - A man who was charged with killing his mother has been found dead in the Ayer Molek Prison last Sunday.

J. Saravanan, 22, who was awaiting trial for the murder of K. Malilla, 47, is believed to have committed suicide by hanging himself using a pillow case tied to a bar of his cell's window between 8.45pm and 9.15pm.

Saravanan was charged last Wednesday with killing his mother with an iron rod at their home in Kampung MIC in Ulu Tiram on Oct 5.

He had also allegedly stuffed her body in a travel bag, which was later found under the sink of their house.

Saravanan's body has been sent to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital for a post-mortem.

At the mortuary, Saravanan's uncle K. Chandran, 42, said he did not believe that his nephew committed suicide.

"I was told that a prison warder, who was just starting his shift, found my nephew hanging in his cell and sent him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival," he said.

He said the family was not satisfied with the explanation about Saravanan's death given by the police.

Chandran said the family wanted Saravanan to be prosecuted for his mother's death. "Even if he were sentenced to death, we would accept it because he would have been judged by the court.

"Dying in prison like this is not what we wanted," he said, adding that the family would demand for an inquiry into his nephew's death.

Johor Human Rights Party chief Y. Mohan said Saravanan's family would hire their own pathologist to conduct an examination on the body.

Suhakam commissioner Datuk N. Siva Subramaniam said representatives from the commission would visit the prison soon to find out how Saravanan died.

Johor deputy police chief Senior Asst Comm (I) Datuk Jalaluddin Ab Rahman confirmed that police had received a report about Saravanan's death.

-The Star/Asia News Network