Sanjeevan freed after police withdraw appeal
KUALA LUMPUR: The police withdrew its appeal against the release of MyWatch chairman Datuk R. Sri Sanjeevan (pic) from his 21-day detention under the Prevention of Crime Act (POCA) 2013.
Justice Arifin Zakaria struck out the appeal after Senior Federal Counsel Muhammad Sinti informed the five-man panel that the prosecution did not have intention to proceed with the appeal.
No reason for the withdrawal was given to the court.
SFC Muhammad acted for Asst Supt E. K. Poonnam and Inspector-General of Police as the appellants while counsel Gobind Singh Deo acted for Sanjeevan.
In Sanjeevan's habeas corpus application hearing on July 26, Judicial Commissioner Mohamad Shariff Abu Samah ruled that there were doubts in the detention order and that it was defective.
"In detentions of this nature, there is a requirement of strict compliance with the law which includes compliance with the order.
"The doubts in the detention order open up holes to various interpretions, the order is bad and Sanjeevan is to be released immediately," he said.
On July 12, magistrate Ahmad Solihin Abd Wahid granted an application from the police to remand Sanjeevan under POCA until July 31.
On July 15, High Court Judicial Commissioner Ab Karim Ab Rahman dismissed Sanjeevan’s application to challenge the remand order.
The court found that there was no irregularity or error committed by the magistrate in granting the remand order under Section 4(1)(a) of the Act.
Sanjeevan and his driver, an Indian national, were detained under Section 506, and Sections 384 and 385 of the Penal Code for alleged criminal intimidation and extortion near the Nilai toll plaza on June 22.
He was arrested following a police report lodged by a complainant that the suspect threatened to slander him through Facebook.
Sanjeevan also claimed trial to two counts of hiring an illegal worker and committing extortion at the Sessions Court, Temerloh magistrate's court and magistrate’s court in Seremban, Negri Sembilan.
