Kes Nhaveen: Pendakwaan kemuka 4 alasan pembelaan gagal timbulkan keraguan munasabah

The High Court has heard four main reasons why the defense of four individuals accused of the 2017 murder of T Nhaveen claims to have caused doubts about the prosecution's case. Defense Senior Assistant Amril Johari stated that one of the reasons is the contradiction between the defense versions of events when compared to the statements made by one of the accused, who was a teenager at the time of the incident and was beaten with a fan until unconscious by T Previin, a friend of Nhaveen, when trying to defuse a quarrel.

Amril stated that the defense's claim should be questioned due to not being raised earlier. He also noted that the contradictions in the accused's statements raise concerns about their credibility. The defense's argument differs from the current defense, as it challenges the existence of the accused at the two incident locations, Jalan Kaki Bukit and Padang Openg, Gelugor.

He also questioned the lack of medical reports to support the claim of the accused who sustained injuries resulting in unconsciousness. Amril requested the court to investigate the differences between the summary judgment, which allowed the four accused to defend themselves, and the full judgment appeal concerning another respondent, S Gopinaath, 35, who was acquitted and released.

Maanveer Singh Dhillon, representing the four accused, argued that there is still doubt about how and where the injuries leading to Nhaveen's death occurred. He stated that Nhaveen was still alive after the incident on Jalan Kaki Bukit and rode a motorcycle with a man known as Belang, but what happened afterward cannot be confirmed based on the statements provided in court.

Maanveer also questioned the evidence of witnesses and medical records, including whether Nhaveen's injuries occurred at the quarrel location or after he was taken away. He also pointed out inconsistencies in the number of individuals involved in the incident based on different statements. He emphasized that the defense does not deny the fight on Jalan Kaki Bukit but challenges whether it led to Nhaveen's death.

The judge, Radzi Abdul Hamid, set November 16 for managing the case to allow the defense and prosecution to submit additional arguments before the decision date. The four accused, Ragesuthan, S Gokulan, 27, and two others who were teenagers at the time of the incident, have given witness statements on October 8 and 9. The prosecution is led by Amril, Yazid Mustaqim Roslan, and Noor Azura Zulkiflee, while the four accused are represented by Maanveer, R Thevan, and Lim Sheng Zhe.

T Gunaseelan is the observer lawyer for Nhaveen's family. Previously, the Court of Appeal ordered Ragesuthan, Gokulan, and the two teenagers to defend themselves against the murder charge of Nhaveen after the High Court allowed their appeal to overturn the conviction on October 3, 2023. They were also ordered to defend themselves against the charge of injuring Previin near the Karpal Singh Learning Center on Jalan Kaki Bukit, Gelugor, between 11 PM and midnight on June 9, 2017.

Nhaveen died on June 15, 2017, after six days in the hospital due to severe injuries sustained in the incident.