Penang High Court Acquits 5 Men In T Nhaveen’s Murder Case
The judge found that the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case, citing unreliable witness account and evidence produced.
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The five men charged with the murder of 18-year-old T. Nhaveen in 2017 have been acquitted and discharged by the Penang High Court today (3 October).
The five men – S. Gopinaath, 32, J. Ragesuthan, 24, S. Gokulan, 24, V. Sharmah, 24 and K. Tatisan, 23 – were previously jointly charged with murdering Nhaveen at the Jalan Bunga Raya park sometime between 11pm and midnight on 9 June 2017.
Justice Radzi Hamid said the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case against the five due to various inconsistencies in the evidence given.
The key witness in the case, T. Previin, also failed to produce a consistent account of the events that day and thus, was not seen as credible.
Justice Radzi added that the police failed to conduct fair investigations into the case. The prosecution also failed to call in other witnesses to support Previin’s testimony in court.
There was evidence that Nhaveen succumbed to his injuries including blunt force trauma to the head a few days after the incident, but the accurate account of what happened that day was murky.
Due to this, the five men were ordered to be immediately released. While the five men and their families were relieved, Nhaveen’s mother was shocked and broke into tears upon hearing the verdict.
What happened to Nhaveen?
Nhaveen was on his way home with his friend, Previin, when they fought with a group of boys on 9 June 2017.
Nhaveen and Previin were allegedly beaten but Previin managed to escape and get help. However, Nhaveen was found unconscious in a field next to Jalan Kaki Bukit in Bukit Gelugor.
Nhaveen was declared brain dead and succumbed to his injuries five days later.
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