Skudai Deepavali fireworks stunt ends in court for four, one just 16

Detailed summary

Four men, including a secondary school student, claimed trial at the Magistrate’s Court here today to charges of setting off fireworks on a main ...

JOHOR BAHRU, Nov 11 — Four men, including a secondary school student, claimed trial at the Magistrate’s Court here today to charges of setting off fireworks on a main road during Deepavali last Sunday.

The accused – P. Ruban, 20; S. Tharun, 18; H. Periuthiv, 19; and a 16-year-old – entered their pleas after the charges were read to them separately.

Their pleas were recorded before four different magistrates: A. Shaarmini, Atifah Hazimah Wahab, Nurzihan Abdul Rehman and Nur Fatin Mohamad Farid.

According to the charge sheets, all of the accused allegedly acted negligently with fireworks, an explosive substance, on a public road occupied by other vehicles, in a manner that could have caused harm to others.

The incident allegedly took place at 1.30am last Sunday on Jalan Skudai-Gelang Patah, near the Taman Nesa traffic lights junction in Skudai.

Ruban, Tharun and Periuthiv were charged under Section 286 of the Penal Code for negligent conduct with respect to an explosive substance, which carries a maximum sentence of six months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to RM2,000, or both upon conviction.

The 16-year-old who cannot be identified under the Child Act was charged under the same section and, if convicted, could be subject to various court orders, including being discharged with a warning, entering into a good-behaviour bond with conditions set by the court, paying a fine, performing community service, or being sent to an approved school or the Henry Gurney School.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Eizlan Azhar, Adilah Farzana Che Ad, Izdhiyah Zahirah Ahmad Ghazali and Nor Hidayah Mohd Tarmizi proposed bail of RM3,000 and RM10,000 respectively.

However, lawyer T. Monisha Dhaarcayinii, who represented all the accused, asked for the bail amounts to be reduced.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Malay Mail. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.