A 37-year-old man has admitted that he purposely caused injury to veteran journalist Haresh Deol on Nov 25.
Krishnan Rajendran pleaded guilty to assaulting Haresh, whose registered name is Haresh Singh Chain Singh, in front of the Tanjung Balai Group building along Jalan Telawi, Bangsar, between 3.10pm and 3.32pm on Tuesday.
The guilty plea was recorded before magistrate Illi Marisqa Khalizan.
He was charged together with another individual who is still at large. The charge was framed under Section 323 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum one-year jail time, or maximum RM2,000 fine, or both.
Following this, the court fixed Jan 22 next year to hear the case facts and decide on his sentence, and ordered him to pay RM2,000 bail.
Krishnan was represented by lawyer Salihen Mostar, while the prosecution was handled by deputy public prosecutor Hench Goh.
Initially, Goh suggested that the court consider RM4,000 bail for Krishnan.
However, Salihen pleaded for a lower bail amount, saying the accused earned RM40 per day as a runner and had to support a wife and six children, with the youngest being one year old.
He added that the accused’s wife was present in court and that he would agree to an additional bail condition should the court choose to impose it, to which the prosecutor said he had no objection to the suggestion.
Bail was then halved, while no additional bail condition was set.
Veteran newsman describes Bangsar attack
Haresh, co-founder of online news portal Twentytwo13, posted on X on Tuesday that he had been assaulted by two individuals in Bangsar in broad daylight, along with a third perpetrator who allegedly recorded the incident on video.
He lodged a police report, and his wife described the incident as a “first” throughout Haresh’s 25-year career in journalism.
He reportedly sustained injuries to his face, hands, and body while attempting to escape from the perpetrators.
Brickfields police chief Hoo Chang Hook confirmed that the case was being investigated under Section 232 of the Penal Code.
Leaders, media groups denounce assault
Following the attack, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil called for an immediate investigation, while National Press Club (NPC) president Ahirudin Attan strongly condemned the assault on Haresh, who is also the NPC deputy president, in describing it as “cowardly and feudal”.
Former Klang MP Charles Santiago equated the attack on a journalist with an attack on freedom of expression.
Meanwhile, Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) and the Malaysian Media Council also denounced the assault and stressed how the intimidation of media workers erodes the press freedom that a democratic nation must uphold. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.