Students chained,handcuffed
Published on July 24, 2005

Provincial Police Bureau 2 Commissioner Lt-General Chong-rak Juthanont yesterday transferred a police captain for handcuffing and chaining three university students charged with causing death through negligence.

Captain Somkid Hiangsathien, deputy inspector of Tambon Sane-suk Police Station, was transferred to an inactive post at Provincial Police Bureau 2. Chongrak said that Somkid acted without common sense, judgement or discretion in handcuffing and chaining three students of Burapa University who had turned themselves in to police.

“He should not be working close to people as he may cause more disgrace to the entire police force,’’ he said.

The three students were charged in connection with the death of first-year student Supatra Mahau-dom, who fell during a cheerleading routine last month and died later in hospital.

Chatri Robroo, father of one of the three students, said that the sight of his son being chained and handcuffed upset him deeply. He said he had protested to Somkid but the policeman had said he was doing it to prevent the suspects from escaping.

Chatri argued that if his son had intended to escape he would not have surrendered in the first place. He later filed a complaint with Chongrak.

Chatri said he also felt betrayed that Burapa University had not taken action against the policeman for chaining his son, even though it was the university that had persuaded him to turn his son in to police.
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