Mistaken identity
SERDANG: A doctor was allegedly tackled to the ground, handcuffed and assaulted by an elite federal police team after being mistaken for a robber.
This happened last Friday at Hospital Serdang despite the 28-year-old being in his doctor’s outfit, with a stethoscope around his neck and the hospital identification tag.
The raiding police team was acting on a tip-off that members of a robbery gang were at a food stall in the hospital carpark.
The doctor, who is attached to the cardiology department, suffered injuries after being allegedly assaulted by members of the federal Special Task Force on Organised Crime (Stafoc) who were clad in black full tactical gear, balaclavas and carried heavy firearms.
Despite a senior doctor at the hospital vouching for him on seeing him in handcuffs, the doctor claimed he was detained for hours and questioned if he had links to the robbery gang.
The doctor, who later lodged a police report over his ordeal, said he had thought the dozenodd Stafoc members – who did
not have police emblems on their uniform – were robbers, and he had followed when other hospital staff and bystanders fled the chaotic scene.
Sepang police chief ACP Abdul Aziz Ali, who confirmed the incident, said an investigation on the doctor’s report is being conducted.
“The complainant alleged that he was roughed up by members of the raiding party and the incident had embarassed him.
“A comprehensive probe is ongoing and whoever was involved (in the case) will not be spared (from action).
“While our investigations are progressing, we urge the public not to make speculations about the case,” he said.
It is learnt that following a robbery in Kajang earlier, police had received a tip-off that seven suspects behind the case were having their meals at the hospital’s food stall, where the doctor who was on duty was also having dinner.
When the team arrived at the hospital compound, the suspected robbers ran helter-skelter in a bid to escape but were apprehended.
Fearing for his life and in a state of panic, the doctor ran towards the hospital building but was intercepted by a Stafoc personnel who tackled him to the ground. Despite being attired in doctor’s clothing and telling them who he was, the doctor alleged that several other policemen assaulted him.
As he was being taken away after being handcuffed, a senior doctor who was at the scene approached the policemen and told them that the “suspect” was a doctor attached to the hospital.
Although the policemen removed the handcuffs, they insisted on taking him to the nearby Sri Serdang police station for interrogation.
At the police station, the doctor pleaded to be given medical attention for the injuries sustained in the assault.
About three hours later, he was escorted by policemen back to the hospital where he received treatment before being taken back to the police station.
He was freed on bail at about 3am and was received by his father who, coincidentally, is a policeman attached to the district police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.