Star witness in Nhaveen murder says his first police report was ‘not true’

 

T Previin (left) talking to activist Arun Dorasamy (right) at the High Court in George Town. With them is Nhaveen’s mother, D Shanti.

GEORGE TOWN: A star witness in the T Nhaveen murder trial surprised lawyers by claiming a police report he had made right after a fight that led to his friend’s death six years ago was “not true”.

Witness T Previin also told the High Court that he was “not agreeable” with a witness statement recorded by a policeman when he was warded for an eye injury sustained in the same fight where Nhaveen was bashed unconscious in 2017.

“There were so many people visiting me in the hospital. I can’t remember all of them.

“I am not sure if a policeman came. But maybe there were two cops that dropped by,” he told defence lawyer Naran Singh.

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Naran suggested that Previin had fled the scene after he was set upon by the accused at Jalan Kaki Bukit, as relayed to policemen in his first account to them.

He suggested to Previin that a subsequent 2021 police report he had made claiming he saw the five accused bashing Nhaveen at the Padang Openg park in Bukit Gelugor was fabricated on the urging of activist Arun Dorasamy.

Previin denied the suggestions put to him and said he was telling the truth.

Why didn’t you leave, DPP asks witness

Deputy public prosecutor Khairul Anuar Abdul Halim then asked Previin why he took over four years to lodge a new report regarding the case.

Previin said he was busy with his studies in the Klang Valley and thought there would be no case as the police appeared to be “not interested”.

Previin said when Arun offered to help after the trial started, the activist had asked him to lodge a new report to “add some details to the first police report”. “In fact, Arun helped me draft the report,” he said.

Khairul then circled back to events unfolding on the day of the incident on June 9, 2017, when Previin and Nhaveen bumped into the accused boys.

Khairul asked Previin why he had not left with Nhaveen when the group of boys had taunted them. The boys had called Nhaveen effeminate, the court was told in earlier testimony.

Previin said he wanted to confront the boys for demanding that Nhaveen fellate one of the five accused, J Ragesuthan.

The confrontation saw Previin and Nhaveen being assaulted by the boys, with Nhaveen later taken to the Padang Openg park nearby to be further assaulted by the accused, according to earlier testimony.

Khairul then asked Previin if activist Arun had influenced any of his court testimony, as alleged by defence lawyers. Previin said “no”.

DPP Azhar Hamzah, Ayu Rohaiza Khazali and Shahrezal Shukri also prosecuted.

S Yagoo and Maanveer Singh Dhillon also represented the accused. Sukhindarpal Singh held a watching brief for the Bar Council.

Five people have been charged with murder in connection with 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 the Jalan Bunga Raya park between 11pm and midnight on June 9, 2017.

The five are also charged with committing a grievous assault on Previin near the Karpal Singh Learning Centre in Bukit Gelugor that night.

The trial before High Court justice Radzi Hamid continues tomorrow. - FMT