The police will constantly monitor the activities of convicted serial rapist S. Selva Kumar who is expected to return to Malaysia today from Canada, said Penang Police chief Datuk Chuah Ghee Lye.

He said there was a great possibility that Selva Kumar, 56, would return to Penang as he had lived in the state before and still had relatives here.

Chuah said the police could not impose any restrictions on him as he had the right to lead a normal life after having served his sentence.

"The police cannot detain him in this country based purely on his criminal record because he has been subjected to the appropriate penalty abroad ... so he is free to return to Malaysia.

"We do not have any information as to whether he will live in Penang or elsewhere," he said to reporters after launching the Penang-level 'Jom Kembali ke Sekolah' (Let's Return to School) programme at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Sejahtera here today.

Selva Kumar is expected to return to Malaysia today after having served his 24-year jail term in Canada for 19 counts of sexual assault, 28 counts of administering a drug or noxious substance, 10 counts of various kinds of assault and a dozen other charges, including extortion.

Several news portals had reported that Selva Kumar who hails from Perak was expected to live in Penang because he had relatives in that state.

-- BERNAMA