GEORGE TOWN – Murdered teen T. Nhaveen once had his legs “partly run over” by a motorcycle ridden by “Raga”, a witness told the Penang High Court today.
T. Previin, 23, told judge Mohd Radzi Abdul Hamid that the incident happened in front of his house in Gelugor, and was also witnessed by a friend “Su Beng”.
“The motorcycle was ridden by Raga, with Phartisan as a pillion rider. At the time, the three of us were sitting, relaxing in front of my house.
“Suddenly, Raga saw us and kept coming towards us, and deliberately raised the motorcycle tyre to try and hit Nhaveen’s leg.”
He said Raga uttered an abusive word at Nhaveen.
Asked by state prosecution director Datuk Khairul Anuar Abdul Halim about how Nhaveen reacted, Previin said the victim screamed in pain and shouted “No!”.
“Nhaveen complained of pain, but I’m not sure if there are injuries. But he did not get any treatment.”
Earlier, Previin faced difficulty explaining the incident, which led to Khairul Anuar suggesting that a motorcycle model be brought in for the proceedings.
However, this, too, failed to help the court understand the incident. The prosecution then resorted to Google Street View, which was shown using a projector.
At the end of his testimony, Previin told the court that he has received death threats in relation to the trial.
Radzi advised Previin to lodge a report, and instructed the prosecution to cooperate with police to ensure the witness’ safety.
“The court takes this matter seriously. For your safety, I hope you also cooperate with police and provide all the necessary information to ensure your safety.”
Previin will continue to testify from October 4 to 8.
The prosecution was led by Khairul Anuar, and also comprised deputy public prosecutors Mohd Amril Johari, Yazid Mustaqim Roslan and Noor Azura Zulkiflee.
Lawyers Ranjit Singh Dhillon, Manveer Singh Dhillon and Yagoo Subramaniam represented the accused, while Sukhindarpal Singh acted as an observer for the Malaysian Bar.
J. Ragesuthen and S. Gokulan, both 18, and two others, one aged 17 and the other who turned 18 in July, were charged with murdering Nhaveen between 11pm and midnight on June 9, 2017 near the Karpal Singh Penang Learning Centre in Jalan Kaki Bukit, Bukit Gelugor.
They were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction. – The Vibes, August 6, 2021