High Court sets October defence hearing for four men in Nhaveen murder case

THE High Court in Penang has fixed Oct 7 to 9 and Oct 12 to 16 for the defence hearing of four men ordered to enter their defence on charges of murdering bullying victim T Nhaveen in 2017.

The accused are J Ragesuthan, 26, S Gokulan, 26, and two other individuals who were juveniles at the time of the incident.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Amri Johari said the dates were set during a case management proceeding before Deputy Registrar Muhammad Firdaus Abdul Wahab.

He said the court also fixed an online case management session before High Court Judge Datuk Mohd Radzi Abdul Hamid on July 13 as a final preparatory hearing before the trial resumes.

“The online case management is intended to allow either party to raise any issues, concerns or matters before the judge prior to the commencement of the trial in October,” he told reporters at the Penang Courts Complex on Friday.

Mohd Amri said he will lead the prosecution together with Deputy Public Prosecutor Yazid Mustaqim Roslan.

Commenting on the case, which has stretched over almost nine years, Mohd Amri said the primary challenge is revisiting the extensive evidence and testimony presented during the earlier stages of the trial.

“The challenge is to refresh the facts of the case, including for the defence. We need to thoroughly review the entire case file, the evidence of witnesses who have testified and the previous trial records to ensure that all parties are fully prepared when proceedings resume,” he said.

Previously, the Court of Appeal allowed the prosecution's appeal against the High Court's decision on Oct 3, 2023, which had acquitted and discharged the four accused without calling for their defence.

The appellate court ordered Ragesuthan, Gokulan and the two other accused to enter their defence on the murder charge and remitted the case to the Penang High Court for the defence stage.

The four men were also ordered to enter their defence on a separate charge of voluntarily causing hurt to Nhaveen's friend, T Previin, near the Karpal Singh Learning Centre in Jalan Kaki Bukit, Gelugor, between 11pm and midnight on June 9, 2017.

Nhaveen died on June 15, 2017, after spending six days in Penang Hospital receiving treatment for severe injuries sustained in the assault, during which he was allegedly beaten with a motorcycle helmet. - July 3, 2026