Rape accused’s dad startled by RM20,000 bail request

IPOH: The father of a factory worker who was charged with rape gasped aloud after the deputy public prosecutor requested bail be set at RM20,000 at the Sessions Court here.

The man covered his mouth in shock and only calmed down after being told by family members that it was not fixed.

Deputy public prosecutor Naidatul Athirah Azman asked Sessions Court judge Zulqarnain Hassan to set bail at RM10,000 each for two rape charges under Section 376 of the Penal Code against P. Karunagaran, 20, who was charged with raping an underage girl at a house in Taman Batu Gajah Perdana in Pusing, near here.

Lawyer R. Rajasagaran asked for bail to be set at RM5,000 each. Zulqarnain set bail at RM12,000 for both charges and set Dec 8 for mention.

Karunagaran claimed trial to the charges of raping the 15-year-old girl on two occasions.

He had initially pleaded guilty after the first charge was read but changed his mind.

When asked whether he understood Bahasa Malaysia, he said no and the session was stood down to allow an interpreter to be called in.

After the charges were read to him in Tamil, Karunagaran pleaded not guilty.

According to the charge sheets, the first offence was committed on Oct 26 at 12.45am and the second on Oct 27 at 2.30am.

The offence carries a maximum sentence of 20 years jail and whipping on conviction.