- The accused are M Balamurugam, 46, K Saravanan, 40, P Sri Devi, 41, G Puganeswaran, 38, S Gobinath, 38, and X Adwin Nicholas, 41, who pleaded not guilty before judge Nor Aziati Jaafar at the Johor Bahru sessions court.
- All six also claimed trial in the magistrates’ court to abducting a Singaporean woman with the intention of secretly and wrongfully confining her, before magistrate A Shaarmini, at an apartment at Jalan Aman, Skudai, and several other locations in Johor Bahru at about 6.30pm on Aug 11.
- The courts granted Sri Devi, Adwin and Puganeswaran bail of RM60,000 each, while Balamurugam, Saravanan and Gobinath were each granted bail of RM69,000.
- They were also ordered to report to the police every month and surrender their passports.
Six individuals have pleaded not guilty to the kidnapping of two Singaporeans, Al-Shameer Abdul Nassar and a woman, in Johor. The alleged crime occurred on August 8 and involved a ransom demand of RM63,000.
The accused, M Balamurugam, K Saravanan, P Sri Devi, G Puganeswaran, S Gobinath, and X Adwin Nicholas, faced charges in both the sessions and magistrates' courts. They are also charged with abducting the woman and robbing Al-Shameer of valuables, including a gold chain and a Rolex watch.
The charges stem from incidents that took place at various locations in Johor Bahru, with the kidnapping occurring in front of a church at Jalan Orkid. The Kidnapping Act 1961 carries severe penalties, including up to 40 years in prison, while the Penal Code offenses could lead to 14 years of imprisonment.23
The courts granted bail of RM60,000 to Sri Devi, Adwin, and Puganeswaran, while Balamurugam, Saravanan, and Gobinath received bail of RM69,000. They are required to report to the police monthly and surrender their passports. The next court date is scheduled for September 23 for further proceedings.45
“The accused, including M Balamurugam, 46, and P Sri Devi, 41, face charges before judge Nor Aziati Jaafar and magistrate A Shaarmini. Bail was set at RM60,000 for three and RM69,000 for the others, with conditions to report monthly and surrender passports.”
