Four men in Seremban, Malaysia pleaded not guilty to charges of raping a girl who was three months shy of her 12th birthday.
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The accused – K Kumar, 39; M. Thineshvaran, 30; Sayrran Kumar, 21; and G. Niressh Pillai, 20 – were all charged with rape under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code, which carries a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping.
According to the charges, Sayrran Kumar allegedly raped the victim in June and again in August. The three other suspects were charged with raping the same victim in August. Sayrran Kumar also faces a separate charge of raping another 12-year-old girl.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Norazhihah Asmuni told the court her team was offering bail of 30,000 Malaysian ringgit (US$7,100) for each charge.
However, defence lawyers pleaded for a lower bail amount, arguing that it was excessive and that their clients were not a flight risk. They also highlighted that their clients, who included a truck driver and two mechanics, came from poor families and that some suffered from serious medical conditions, including end-stage renal failure requiring dialysis.
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