KUALA LUMPUR: A “guru” from the Brahma Kumaris spiritual centre charged with rape was in fact in a “relationship” with the alleged victim, a defence lawyer told the court today.
Lawyer Kamarul Zaman Abdul Rahman said the text messages between S Baskaran and the 26-year old Brahma Kumaris devotee “peaked” from August to October last year.
“Their love messages are in the WhatsApp,” he said before judge Suraya Mustafa Kamal.
Due to this, he said, he needed the court’s permission to ask a telecommunications company for a copy of the WhatsApp messages as the exchanges were crucial for the defence.
Suraya allowed Kamarul Zaman to make an application with a suggestion on the specific law that would allow him to do so.
Kamarul Zaman made his request during the second day of trial at the Sessions Court. He is defending Baskaran who has been a spiritual teacher for the past 20 years at the Brahma Kumaris centre in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
The alleged victim, a final year psychology student, said she was raped by the religious teacher on Sept 14, 2018.
The trial which started at 9am today focused on the devotee who related in detail the incidents that led to the alleged rape.
She was asked by deputy public prosecutor Nur Farah Adilah Noordin about the setting in her room and what transpired during the alleged rape at the hostel in Bangsar as well as her trip to Bukit Tinggi on Sept 13, 2018.
Sketches of the room were also shown to the judge.
Yesterday, the alleged victim said Baskaran had taken her to Bukit Tinggi, Pahang, after claiming he wanted to talk to her about the two of them and the centre in Bangsar. She alleged that he had kissed and held her hand there.
She alleged that he tried forcing her mouth down to his private parts but she managed to pull away.
The trial will continue from March 30 to April 3. - FMT
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