RM1,500 fine for faking own kidnapping

Restaurant caretaker in desperate need for money had contacted his brother and claimed that four kidnappers were demanding RM60,000 ransom for his release.

KUALA LUMPUR: A restaurant caretaker who faked his own kidnapping for ransom was put behind bars for a day and fined RM1,500 or another three months in prison by the Magistrate’s Court here Wednesday.

Magistrate Ahmad Solihin Abd Wahid passed the sentence on T Logeswaran, 26, who pleaded guilty to committing the offence at the Pudu police station here at 2.27pm on April 7.

According to the facts of the case, Logeswaran, on April 7 at 9.30am, contacted his brother, T. Aravin, 23, through a new phone number claiming he had been kidnapped by four kidnappers who were demanding a ransom of RM60,000.

Their uncle J. Jayendra, 34, subsequently lodged a report prompting Insp Zulfadli Aizat Baharudin to conduct an investigation.

Earlier, Deputy Public Prosecutor Noorelynna Hanim Abd Halim urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence in view of the seriousness of the offence, “in the interest of the public and as a lesson to the accused”.

Counsel Noor Mousa Azaddin, mitigating for a lighter sentence, told the court that her client was desperate for money as he had to take care of his sick father.

Logeswaran paid the fine.

– BERNAMA