MUAR: Three men were given a discharge and acquittal by the High Court here today from a charge of kidnapping a doctor from Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital (HPSF) four years ago.
Judge Datuk Halijah Abbas released M. Prem Seegar, 37, P. Reymon Raj, 25, and T. Sanjiv Kumar, 24, after finding that the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case against the three accused.
The three were charged with wrongfully detaining and carting with the intention of obtaining ransom, a female doctor, M. Anita, 29, at the HPSF car park here at 10pm on May 6, 2015.
They were charged under Section 3 of the Kidnapping Act 1961 which could be punished under the same section and read along with Section 34 of the Penal Code which carries a death sentence or life imprisonment and whipping, upon conviction.
Halijah in her judgment said the three accused were discharged and acquitted after the court found no element to link them to the case.
“Upon hearing and reviewing all witness’ statements, written submissions and oral arguments from everyone and the exhibits submitted at the maximum assessment level, I declare that the prosecution had not been able to prove a prima facie case for the charge against all accused.
“With that, I discharge and acquit all the accused from the charge. All exhibits, need to be disposed of by the prosecution,” he said.
Deputy public prosecutor Rashidah Murni Adzmi prosecuted while counsel G. Subramaniam Nair represented Prem Seegar, counsel Haresh Mahadevan represented Reymon Raj and counsel Hishamudin A. Aziz represented Sanjiv Kumar. — Bernama
