Court gags activist Arun over Nhaveen murder trial
Activist Arun Doraisamy has been vocal on his Facebook page over the past two months in urging the prosecutors to look into new evidence in the ongoing trial.
GEORGE TOWN: The High Court here has issued an interim gag order against activist Arun Doraisamy from making any public remarks related to the T Nhaveen murder trial pending a decision on a full gag order against the activist.
After hearing arguments from both sides, judicial commissioner (JC) Mohd Radzi Abdul Hamid said he will deliver his decision on Aug 5, but in the meantime, Arun is not allowed to make any comments on the case on any social media platform or any medium until the decision is made.
The Penang prosecutors office had applied for a gag order against Arun on June 18. The activist has been vocal on his Facebook page over the past two months in urging the prosecutors to look into new evidence in the ongoing trial.
During the gag order application last month, Arun’s lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan had given an undertaking that his client would not make any remarks until a decision was made on the gag order.
Today, JC Radzi queried the lawyer on why Arun had gone on Facebook and WhatsApp yesterday and today to post about a press conference he planned to have after today’s hearing.
Arun then apologised and pledged not to do so again.
In arguing why Arun should not be slapped with a gag order today, Rajesh said this would curtail the activist’s freedom of speech as provided under the Federal Constitution.
Rajesh said Arun had taken to Facebook after the prosecutors’ office refused to meet Nhaveen’s family over apparent new leads and crucial evidence in the trial. He said repeated attempts to get the prosecution to meet possible witnesses have failed.
Deputy public prosecutor Khairul Anuar Abdul Halim said the gag order was “absolutely necessary” so as to protect the sanctity and integrity of the murder trial from comments from outsiders which could be prejudicial to the trial process.
Later, lawyer Maanveer Singh Dhillon went ballistic after he spotted T Previin, the star witness of the Nhaveen murder trial in the gallery.
Maanveer said Previin’s absence from the trial earlier this month had caused the case to be postponed for a month.
“Please have a little respect for the court. You were not here for the trial and now you are here,” he said before storming off.
GEORGE TOWN: The High Court here has issued an interim gag order against activist Arun Doraisamy from making any public remarks related to the T Nhaveen murder trial pending a decision on a full gag order against the activist.
After hearing arguments from both sides, judicial commissioner (JC) Mohd Radzi Abdul Hamid said he will deliver his decision on Aug 5, but in the meantime, Arun is not allowed to make any comments on the case on any social media platform or any medium until the decision is made.
The Penang prosecutors office had applied for a gag order against Arun on June 18. The activist has been vocal on his Facebook page over the past two months in urging the prosecutors to look into new evidence in the ongoing trial.
During the gag order application last month, Arun’s lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan had given an undertaking that his client would not make any remarks until a decision was made on the gag order.
Today, JC Radzi queried the lawyer on why Arun had gone on Facebook and WhatsApp yesterday and today to post about a press conference he planned to have after today’s hearing.
Arun then apologised and pledged not to do so again.
In arguing why Arun should not be slapped with a gag order today, Rajesh said this would curtail the activist’s freedom of speech as provided under the Federal Constitution.
Rajesh said Arun had taken to Facebook after the prosecutors’ office refused to meet Nhaveen’s family over apparent new leads and crucial evidence in the trial. He said repeated attempts to get the prosecution to meet possible witnesses have failed.
Deputy public prosecutor Khairul Anuar Abdul Halim said the gag order was “absolutely necessary” so as to protect the sanctity and integrity of the murder trial from comments from outsiders which could be prejudicial to the trial process.
Later, lawyer Maanveer Singh Dhillon went ballistic after he spotted T Previin, the star witness of the Nhaveen murder trial in the gallery.
Maanveer said Previin’s absence from the trial earlier this month had caused the case to be postponed for a month.
“Please have a little respect for the court. You were not here for the trial and now you are here,” he said before storming off.
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