Lorry driver admits to charges related to intimidation of influencer Esha
KUALA LUMPUR: The man who bullied a woman with vulgarity and threats of physical abuse on social media platform TikTok has been jailed for 12 months.
Lorry driver B. Sathiskumar (pic), 44, who verbally abused influencer Rajeswary Appahu, was sentenced after pleading guilty to the two charges levelled against him when the case came up for mention at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court yesterday.
Rajeswary, 29, a Hindu rights activist better known as Esha, lodged a police report against Sathiskumar a day before she took her own life in early July.
She complained that he had intimidated her and she was worried for her safety.
Judge Siti Aminah Ghazali sentenced Sathiskumar to 12 months’ jail each for both the charges, and ordered the sentence to run concurrently from the date of his arrest on July 10.
Sathiskumar was charged in July with making vulgar remarks to hurt others via his TikTok account @dulal_brothers_360 and for humiliating Rajeswary’s mother R. Puspa through the same account at 10.12pm on June 30.
He was charged under Section 233 (1) (a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for the first charge and Section 509 of the Penal Code for the second.
Just before the sentencing, Sathiskumar pleaded for leniency and sought the court’s forgiveness.“I am guilty and I will not do it again. I seek forgiveness, Madam. I will not do it again,’’ he said.
The accused had initially pleaded guilty only to the first charge and claimed trial to the second but changed his mind and admitted to both charges yesterday.
Meanwhile, deputy public prosecutor Mohd Sabri Othman had asked for a retributive sentence based on the crime, public interest and victim’s rights in this case.
He said the outcome of the cases must also be a lesson to others that vulgarity used in society would be seriously and duly dealt with.
However, counsel appointed by the National Legal Aid Foundation, Muhamad Izwan Ishak, who represented Sathiskumar, pleaded for his client to be imposed a minimum sentence.
He added that Sathiskumar only earns RM1,200 a month and has to support a disabled wife and three children, two of whom are jobless while the third child is still studying.
Besides Sathiskumar, another social media user, Shalini Periasamy, 35, was also charged and fined RM100 in default seven days’ jail for threatening to slap Rajeswary with the intention to incite anger and disturb peace via her TikTok account in July.
Shalini, who was charged under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955, pleaded guilty at the Magistrate’s Court and was imposed the maximum sentence, a RM100 fine, on July 16.
What was deemed a mere slap on Shalini’s wrist raised public ire, with many taking to social media to chastise her.
Those suffering from problems can reach out to the Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392); Talian Kasih (15999 or 019-261 5999 on WhatsApp); Jakim’s Family, Social and Community care centre (011-1959 8214 on WhatsApp); and Befrienders Kuala Lumpur (03-7627 2929), visit www.befrienders.org.my/centre-in-malaysia for a complete list of numbers and operating hours, or email sam@befrienders.org.my.
