PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal here today upheld the 14 years’ jail sentence and five strokes of whipping imposed on a former wireman convicted of raping and committing oral sex on a college graduate after spiking her drink.
Sathisan Haridasan Nair’s final appeal against his conviction and sentence was unanimously dismissed by a three-member bench comprising Datuk Rhodzariah Bujang, Datuk Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah and Datuk Has Zanah Mehat.
According to the facts of the case, the 32-year-old man gave the victim a drink laced with a sedative pill until she became dizzy and weak, vomited and trembled before taking her to a hotel.
Sathisan’s act was premeditated as he had posted a job offer through WhatsApp using a false name “Sanjeevan”.
The victim’s mother received the message in her group WhatsApp and forwarded it to her daughter, who was looking for a job at that time.
On that fateful day, the appellant told the victim to meet him at KL Sentral and that he would bring her to the training place in Sunway.
In 2017, the sessions court found Sathisan guilty and sentenced him to 14 years’ jail and three strokes of the rotan for raping the victim, who was 21 years old then, at a hotel in Jalan Klang Lama, Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur at 12.30 midnight until 4.30pm on April 30, 2016.
He was also convicted and sentenced to eight years’ jail and two strokes of the rotan for committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature without consent at the same place and time.
The sessions court had ordered Sathisan to serve the sentences concurrently.
He lost his appeal against his conviction and sentence at the High Court on Oct 9 last year.
Deputy public prosecutor Datuk Patricia Tan had urged the court to invoke Section 60 (2) of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964 to increase the jail sentence, saying that there were many similar cases where drinks were spiked.
Sathisan’s counsel K. A. Ramu argued that the victim had consented to the acts and was not forced by his client. — Bernama
