Case must go on, says DPP after bid to drop Nhaveen trial

 

After star witness T Praviin (centre) admitted lodging a false police report, defence lawyers tried to have the case dropped but were rejected.

GEORGE TOWN: An application by defence lawyers for the Nhaveen murder case to be dropped was rejected by the prosecution, the High Court was told.

Deputy public prosecutor Amril Johari said the prosecution felt the case must go on. “We feel the court should decide based on the evidence tendered thus far,” he said.

He said lead defence counsel Naran Singh had made a representation for the case to be dropped after star witness T Previin, 23, claimed a police report he lodged last year was “not his”.

In that report, Previin sought to update missing details from his first report made in 2017 detailing a melee that had left him injured and Nhaveen dead.

In the latest report dated May 22 last year, Previin claimed that about 20 people had beaten up Nhaveen. He named some of the accused and others involved in the melee on June 9, 2017.

Yesterday’s hearing was only about the representation and the decision by the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

The trial will continue on Sept 14-16, and Sept 19-23.

Five people are charged with murder in Nhaveen’s death. They are S Gopinaath, 30, J Ragesuthan, 22, S Gokulan, 22, and two other unnamed persons who were juveniles when the offence took place.

They are accused of committing the offence at Jalan Bunga Raya park between 11pm and midnight on June 9, 2017. The five are also charged with committing a grievous assault against Previin near the Karpal Singh Learning Centre in Bukit Gelugor that night. - FMT