Forensic evidence indicates that a drug suspect found dead in police custody most likely died as a result of hanging.
The family of Theeraphat Sereekrietdilok believes he was murdered, then strung up to make it look like a suicide.
DNA samples under his fingernails added fuel to suspicions there was a struggle before his death.
Forensics Institute chief Khunying Porntip Rojanasunan said an autopsy revealed Theeraphat was still alive when the hanging took place.
Theeraphat’s father Somchai Sereekrietdilok had asked Dr Porntip to travel to the hospital so she could talk with the pathologists there and recheck his body.
Mr Somchai said he suspected his son may have been killed by police officers who arrested him on March 7 and put him detention at their safe house in Songkhla’s Hat Yai district.
Theeraphat was found hanged on March 9 there. His father said police told him it was a suspected suicide.
After the second examination, Dr Porntip said the hanging happened while he was still alive.
Dr Pornthip said the examination of a wound on his neck, which was slanted upward, found there was bleeding in his tissue.
This revealed he did not die before the hanging. If he was dead, there would not have been bleeding, she said.
The autopsy also found traces of DNA of “some other people”, she said.
Theeraphat’s mother yesterday said she wanted 10 police officers implicated in the case to have their DNA examined as this would be helpful to the ongoing inquest into his death.
Her call was echoed by Crime Suppression Division investigators who reportedly believe the results of a DNA test will help them identify the cause of his death.
Theeraphat’s father, Mr Somchai, accused the 10 officers of unlawfully detaining his son, demanding bribes and colluding to kill him when he asked the CSD to look into the case on Friday.
Earlier, the officers allegedly demanded one million baht in exchange for Theeraphat’s release after he was arrested on March 7 for possessing crystal methamphetamine and taken to the safe house instead of a police station.
However, Mr Somchai claimed he paid them only 300,000 baht.
According to the initial investigation, a man identified only as “Ei” received the money, but after Theeraphat was found dead on Mar 9, a woman known only as “Phi Sao” returned the money to Mr Somchai.
The bribery scandal caused the transfer of 10 police officers to the Royal Thai Police Operations Centre.
On April 3, national police adviser Pol Maj Gen Chaiyong Kiratikhachon signed an order on behalf of the national police chief to “dismiss them”.
The three most senior officers named were Pol Lt Col Thanet Phongrot, an inspector at the Songkhla investigation sub-division, Pol Lt Col Thawatchai Suncharoen, inspector for suppression at Khlong Ngae provincial police station and Pol Capt Yotniphat Sokhao, deputy inspector for suppression at Sadao provincial police station.