FIVE INDIVIDUALS PLEAD NOT GUILTY TO KIDNAPPING TEENAGER

SEREMBAN,  April 24 (Bernama) -- Five individuals, including two women, pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here today to a charge of kidnapping a teenage girl.

The women, D Sasveena, 31, who is also a clerk, and unemployed  P Siveeshinaa, 23,  as well as insurance worker Farhin Muhammad Ariffin, 23, P Koshen Kumar, 21 and T Boharaj, 32, both unemployed, made the plea before Datin Surita Budin.

They are jointly charged with the intent to hold a 16-year-old girl for ransom of RM2 million by abducting the girl in front of a hairdressing salon in Uptown Avenue, Seremban 2, here at about 5.45 pm last April 10.

They were charged under Section 3 (1) of the Kidnapping Act 1961, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides a prison sentence of not less than 30 years but not more than 40 years and whipping, upon conviction.

. Deputy Public Prosecutor Norazihah Asmuni requested that bail be denied for all the accused, arguing that the offence was a serious crime which endangered the victim’s safety and posed a risk of the accused disturbing the victim, their family, and other prosecution witnesses.

“Also, most of the accused do not have permanent jobs, and if bail is granted, there is a possibility that they will abscond. It also involves public interest because kidnapping crimes create fear in the community, and the court must consider public safety," she said.

Lawyer T. Harpal Singh, representing all the accused, requested that the court grant time for his team to file a mitigation appeal or written submissions regarding the bail application.

“I was only recently made aware of this matter and would like to request a short adjournment of two weeks to prepare and submit our bail application. At this stage, it is merely a charge, the court will ultimately determine guilt at the conclusion of the trial,” he said.

Judge Surita then allowed the application, with the bail issue to be reserved until the lawyer files the written submission. The case has been set for mention on May 14.

“I grant permission for the defence to file their written submission, and in the meantime, all the accused will remain in remand,” the judge ruled.

-- BERNAMA