BERNAMA – An insurance agent was charged at the sessions court recently with three counts of endangering his children, by allowing them to stick their heads out of the window of a moving car along Jalan Tambun last March.
T Vengadasalabathi, 37, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were read separately before Judge Ainun Shahrin Mohamad, of exposing his three children, aged four to eight, to danger in a moving car that could likely cause physical injuries.
The offence was allegedly committed along Jalan Tambun between 6.20pm and 6.45pm on March 22 and framed under Section 31 (1) (A) of the Child Act.
It is punishable under Section 31 (1) of the same Act, which provides a maximum fine of MYR50,000 or a 20-year jail term, or both, upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Evangelin Simon Silvaraj asked for the court to set bail at MYR15,000 for each charge and that the accused should not be anywhere near the victims.
However, lawyer K Nahtan, representing the accused, asked for a lower bail of MYR2,500 for each charge, stating that his client has three children, a wife and parents to care for.
He also said there was no element of sexual abuse involved and therefore there was no need to separate his children from him.
The court fixed bail at MYR9,000 in one surety for all three charges and set July 1 for mention.
On March 24, police detained the father of the three, who were seen sticking their heads out of the window of a moving car along Jalan Tambun, as seen in a video clip that went viral on social media.