SHANTI Dorairaj, the mother of T. Nhaveen, will be submitting a memorandum to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) later today requesting it to appeal the Penang High Court’s decision on her son’s case. 

Lawyers Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Singh Sohanpal, representing Nhaveen’s family and star witness T. Previin, will officially put in a request to the attorney general as well as the public prosecutor to appeal the decision. 

Last week, Penang High Court judge Radzi Hamid acquitted and discharged five people over the murder of Nhaveen after ruling that the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case against them due to inconsistencies in the evidence produced.

S. Gopinath, 32, and four others who were juveniles when they were charged and are now aged 24, were immediately released.

According to lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan, there are strong grounds for an appeal. 

“On December 12, 2022, the judge dismissed the accused application to impeach the main witness, Previin. 

“This clearly shows that Previin was a reliable witness. 

“However, on October 3, 2023, the judge acquitted all five accused and stated that Previin is an unreliable witness,” Rajesh said. 

Meanwhile, Nhaveen Action Investigation League chairman Arun Doraisamy said he met with Deputy Law and Institutional Reform Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Ramkarpal Singh yesterday to escalate the matter. 

Arun said he would be together with Shanti at the AGC later today to submit the memorandum.

“The appeal has to be done by October 17 and we can’t wait until the very last minute to move.” 

“If by Sunday there is no decision on the appeal, Shanti and I will go on a hunger strike starting Monday,” Arun said. 

On June 19, 2017, the five accused were charged with killing 18-year-old Nhaveen under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the code.

All of the accused were also charged under Section 326 of the Penal Code for causing grievous bodily harm to the victim. 

It was reported that Nhaveen had been purportedly beaten up by five people while buying burgers at night in Jalan Kaki Bukit, Bukit Gelugor.

Nhaveen’s friend, who was there with him, escaped. Nhaveen was later found unconscious in a field with serious injuries including burns on his back and signs that a blunt object had been shoved into his anus. – October 13, 2023.