The high-profile murder case of teenager T. Nhaveen, which sparked nationwide outrage in 2017, is set to move forward again after being delayed for nearly three years.
The case resumed momentum following the Federal Court’s dismissal of the government’s appeal against the acquittal of the fifth accused, paving the way for proceedings involving the remaining four accused persons to continue.
The ruling was delivered by a three-member Federal Court bench comprising Justices Nordin Hassan, Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera and Azimah Omar.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Allan Suman Pillai told the court that repeated attempts had been made to locate the fifth accused, S. Gopinath, 35, at his last known address, but authorities were unable to determine his whereabouts.
In light of the circumstances, the Federal Court dismissed the prosecution’s appeal against Gopinath’s acquittal.
Nhaveen, 18, was brutally assaulted near the Karpal Singh Learning Centre along Jalan Kaki Bukit in Bukit Gelugor, Penang, on the night of June 9, 2017.
He suffered severe head injuries in the attack and never regained consciousness before dying on June 15, 2017.
The incident drew widespread condemnation across Malaysia and reignited public discussions on bullying, violence and hate-motivated crimes.
In October 2023, the Penang High Court acquitted four accused individuals — J. Rakeshudan, S. Gokulan and two others who were minors at the time of the offence.
However, on January 13 last year, the Court of Appeal overturned the High Court’s ruling after finding that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the four accused.
The appellate court subsequently ordered all four to enter their defence, leading to their rearrest and continued detention.
The case is scheduled to return to the Penang High Court on July 3 for case management, during which dates for the defence proceedings are expected to be fixed.
