Law student denies involvement with fatal assault, lodges police report

GEORGE TOWN: A third year law student has lodged a police report to deny he was involved in the brutal assault and subsequent death of a youth which has gained widespread condemnation.
G. Shatish Veeran, 22, told theSun he lodged the report after finding out photos of him which identified him as one of the assailants of T. Nhaveen, 18, being circulated.
He said the photo, a compilation of four faces purportedly of the suspects and one of him, had been shared almost a thousand times.
"I looked it up and was shocked and frightened as there were some who threatened to beat me up in the comments.
"I lodged the police report at the Jelutong police station on June 16 upon the advice of my friends and family," he said.
Shatish Veeran said he had nothing to do with what happened and expressed his frustration over being connected to the incident.
He questioned how people could disseminate information without checking its validity.
"I fear that someone will mistakenly think I am one of the perpetrators, I do not dare to go out alone now and am always with my family and friends," he said.
Law lecturer Shamsher Singh Thind had accompanied his former student to lodge the report and in a Facebook post urged netizens to be careful of what they shared.
"The function of the criminal justice system is not only to punish the criminals but also equally, if not more importantly, to protect the innocent," he said.
The power of social media has also been harnessed by netizens disgusted over the vicious attack after an online petition was launched by one Mukesh Ravi of Ipoh, Perak, urging for justice for Nhaveen and victims of bullying.
"We want justice for T. Nhaveen where the offenders cannot be spared. They should be given a punishment they deserve," the petition read.
At time of writing, a total of 35,471 supporters out of a target of 50,000 had signed the petition.
The petition is to be sent to the United Nations (UN), Attorney-General's Chambers, The Human Rights Commission, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.