Three men escaped the hangman's noose after the Federal Court here today acquitted and discharged them over the murder of former Ipoh Barat MIC division treasurer N. Sindambaram in Perak about seven years ago.
A three-man bench led by Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Md Raus Sharif ruled that based on evidence before the court, the convictions of salesman A.Manimaran, trader S. Saravanan and security guard K. Perumal were unsafe.
Upon hearing the verdict, Saravanan, 32, stomped his feet with joy while Manimaran, 27, begun to weep. On the other hand, Perumal, 34, did not display any emotion.
Their family members who were sitting at the public gallery were seen in tears of joy as they stood thanking the court for the acquittal.
The panel, also comprising Federal Court judges Tan Sri Ahmad Maarop, Tan Sri Hasan Lah, Tan Sri Abu Samah Nordin and Datuk Zaharah Ibrahim unanimously allowed the trio's appeal to set aside their conviction and death sentence.
In his decision, Md Raus also said the court agreed with the first decision of the High Court which ruled that a prima facie case had not been established against the three of them.
Manimaran, Saravanan and Perumal were initially acquitted and discharged by the High Court in Ipoh on Nov 29, 2010, without calling for their defence after the court ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against them.
On appeal by the prosecution, the Court of Appeal in April 2013 sent the case back to the High Court and ordered the three to enter their defence.
The trio were then convicted and sentenced to death by the High Court on July 15, 2013. They lost their appeal in the Court of Appeal which upheld their conviction and death sentence.
They were charged with murdering Sindambaram, 68, between 11.30pm on Jan 11, 2009, and 2.10am the following day at his house in Jalan Wayang, Buntong, Ipoh.
The deceased's wife, T. Letchumy had earlier testified in the trial that she had seen her husband seated at a coffee table in the living room surrounded by six masked men armed with parangs.
There was a pool of blood on the floor where Sindambaram was seated, she said.
Letchumy said after the men left, she sought help from neighbours to call an ambulance to send her husband to a hospital.
The next day, she was informed about 6.30am that Sindambaram had died. Counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik represented Manimaran while lawyer Afifuddin Ahmad Hafifi appeared for Saravanan. T. Vijayandran was counsel for Perumal.
Deputy Public Prosecutor K. Mangai appeared for the prosecution.
Bernama
Tue Jan 19 2016
The panel, also comprising Federal Court judges Tan Sri Ahmad Maarop, Tan Sri Hasan Lah, Tan Sri Abu Samah Nordin and Datuk Zaharah Ibrahim unanimously allowed the trio's appeal to set aside their conviction and death sentence. - File photo
Isu stoking: Pengarah KK Mart, isteri akan kemuka representasi kepada AGC
Pengarah KK Mart yang berdepan dua pertuduhan melukakan perasaan orang Islam dalam isu berkaitan penjualan stoking tertera kalimah Allah akan mengemukakan representasi kepada Jabatan Peguam Negara.
Inisiatif IHH Healthcare lancar pemasangan panel solar wajar jadi contoh - Fadillah Yusof
IHH Healthcare Malaysia mencatatkan pencapaian baharu dengan melancarkan inisiatif pemasangan panel solar di seluruh rangkaian hospitalnya sekali gus menjadikannya pelopor.
Che'gu Bard akan didakwa di Johor Bahru esok
Che'gu Bard berkata, ia dipercayai berhubung kenyataannya mengenai isu kasino di Forest City, Johor.
Ahmad Zahid ucap tahniah kepada Farah Ain
Ahmad Zahid mengucapkan tahniah kepada atlet boling padang Nor Farah Ain Abdullah yang muncul juara pada Kejohanan Boling Padang Dalam Dewan Dunia 2024.
Raih RM31 juta sejak ditayangkan! Sheriff kini filem no. 1 di Malaysia
Berita gembira ini turut disokong oleh abang Syafiq, Syamsul Yusof yang turut bangga dengan kejayaan naskhah yang dihasilkan adiknya.
Letupan bom Sungai Golok: PDRM tingkat kawalan keselamatan sempadan Malaysia-Thailand
PDRM mempertingkatkan kawalan keselamatan di sempadan Malaysia-Thailand susulan insiden letupan bom dan bunyi tembakan di Sungai Golok.
Pemain ragbi meninggal dunia selepas perlawanan pasukan pilihan MB Kedah
Seorang bekas pemain Sukma Kedah meninggal dunia selepas menyertai perlawanan pertunjukan pasukan pilihan Menteri Besar Kedah pada Ahad.
OCC: Masih banyak usaha perlu dibuat dalam isu hak kanak-kanak
Masih banyak yang perlu dilakukan kerana Malaysia masih ketinggalan berbanding negara lain dalam menangani isu penderaan dan masalah sosial melibatkan kanak-kanak.
iPad Pro mungkin dijana dengan cip Apple M4 terbaharu, fokus ciri AI
Cip Apple M4 dijangka memfokuskan kepada keupayaan enjin neural yang disertakan bersama dengannya membolehkan ia menawarkan ciri AI yang lebih baik.
Lebih 840,000 permohonan untuk London Marathon 2025 pecah rekod dunia
Jumlah permohonan untuk menyertai larian TCS London Marathon tahun depan telah memecahkan rekod dunia.
COVID-19: Over 100 individuals in Penang undergo test
Most of them were tested negative for the disease while others are still waiting for the results, Penang Chief Minister said.
Pusat dobi layan diri tidak dibenarkan beroperasi
Turut tidak dibenarkan beroperasi, pasar malam dan pasar tani sepanjang Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan bagi mengelakkan orang ramai berkumpul
Do postponements cause delays in the Courts?
Cases may often be postponed or otherwise delayed for various reasons. The truth of the matter is that these delays may be necessary due to the Rule of law and due process.
Guilty until proven innocent; a devastatingly prevalent myth
While it is natural for us to be presumptuous, to place our version of the truth ahead of the law's is just purely juvenile. Lawyer Alan Razak writes.
"I feel guilty, I want to see Imam," kata lelaki yang tampar Imam
Demikian kata-kata Shabir Ahmad Khan, 31, lelaki warganegara India yang menampar imam Masjid Negara semasa solat Jumaat di masjid itu dua minggu lalu.
Mahkamah benarkan wanita batal saman bekas kekasih Bosnia
Hakim Timothy Finlayson Joel dalam keputusannya turut menolak tuntutan balas oleh Chung Shun Yee, 29, terhadap Ervin Ahbabovic, 41.