GEORGE TOWN: Doctors have declared an 18-year-old youth as brain-dead after he fell unconscious due to an alleged assault by a group of former schoolmates on Saturday.
The victim, T. Nhaveen, who was about to enrol at a private college for a music composition course in Kuala Lumpur, is currently on life support at Penang Hospital's intensive care unit (ICU).
Nhaveen's uncle M. Vincent said family members were shocked to learn that Nhaveen was brain dead.
"What is more distressing is that we were told by doctors and nurses that he was sodomised and there were burn marks on his back," he said at a press conference at the hospital on Monday.
George Town OCPD Asst Comm Anuar Omar confirmed that there were injuries indicating that a blunt object was inserted into Nhaveen's anus as well as the burns on his back.
ACP Anuar added that police had arrested all five suspects believed to be involved in the case.
"The case is being investigated under Section 148 of the Penal Code for rioting with weapons," he said.
It was reported on Sunday that Nhaveen and his 19-year-old friend were beaten up by a group of teenagers with helmets and fists around midnight on Saturday at a field in Jalan Kaki Bukit in Gelugor.
He was seriously injured and was taken to the hospital in an unconscious state while his friend managed to escape with bruises on his face.
