Three Indian nationals charged with murder in Malaysia three years ago were acquitted by a court here on Friday , citing inadequate evidence against them.
Security supervisor Illayaraaja Haridas, 29, student Gobi Nath Shanmugam, 21, and technician Tivanesvaran Sathivelu, 23, were accused of murdering Syed Kumar Yahya, 37, in Puchong — a suburb of Kuala Lumpur — three years ago.
Although the three men were initially charged separately, their cases were tried together as they involved the same victim.
In his closing argument, counsel Gobind Singh said none of the prosecution’s witnesses or evidence could place his clients at the scene of the crime. “It is clear cut that although my clients were in remand for three years, there was no case against them,” Gobind told the court.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhamad Yasser Mohd Nasri said the medical report presented by the medical officer from Serdang Hospital, which deduced that the cause of death was severe head trauma, should be adequate. Justice Ghazali Cha acquitted and discharged the three.
“There was no evidence that they were present at the crime. None of the witnesses could identify the victim’s attackers, which caused the fatal injuries which he succumbed to 10 days later,” said Justice Ghazali.