ALOR STAR: Five men from Kuala Ketil, Baling were jailed five years each at the High Court here after they pleaded guilty to an alternative charge of kidnapping an 11-year-old boy in Baling four years ago.
R. Yuvaraj and K. Pubalan, both 25, M. Badmanathan, 27, S. Sankar, 29, and M. Vail Murugan, 24, were alleged to have kidnapped G. Subramanian with the intention of secretly and wrongfully confining him on Jan 18, 2000 at 6.30am in an open area near Taman Batu Pekaka, Kuala Ketil, Baling.
They were charged under Section 365 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum of seven years' jail and a fine.
The men were earlier charged under Section 3 of the Kidnapping Act 1961, which carries the death sentence or life imprisonment with whipping upon conviction.
According to the facts of the case, the victim was on his way to school at 6.30am on Jan 18 when he was kidnapped by Yuvaraj, Pubalan and Vail Murugan at the area and was confined in Yuvaraj’s house at 23A, Kampung Sungai Getah, Sungai Lalang, Bedong.
On the same day at 2.45pm the victim’s father received a call from a man who told him that he wanted a RM500,000 ransom.
The amount was later reduced to RM200,000.
The victim was released on Jan 20 after two days in captivity without any ransom being paid to the kidnappers.
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