The driver of the late Karpal Singh who was charged with reckless driving that resulted in the former DAP chairman and his personal assistant's deaths was today granted a discharge and acquittal.
Magistrate Mohamad Ibrahim Mohamad Ghulam in his ruling said the prosecution represented by deputy public prosecutor Fadhli Ab Wahab and Nurul Azriah Zaid had failed to establish a prima facie case against C.Selvam, 29.
Wearing a white shirt and black trousers, Selvam was seen smiling when the decision was read out to him in Tamil by the interpreter.
On July 9, 2014, Selvam claimed trial to driving in a reckless and dangerous manner as to cause Karpal and Michael Cornelius' deaths.
He was accused of committing the offence while driving a vehicle with registration number KS 9898, at 306.1 North-South Expressway near Gua Tempurung here, around 12.40am on April 17, 2014.
Selvam, an Indian national arrived at the court compound around 9.45am with his lawyer Baljit Singh and guarantor Datuk Huan Cheng Guan.
He later told reporters when met outside the court that he hoped to return to India soon to reunite with family members whom he had not met for more than two years.
"Lots of thanks to Datuk Huan who was helping me from the start until now. He's been helping me including all that I needed.
"Thanks to my lawyer also, Baljit Singh who was helping me till I am freed today. I'm very happy, I'm going to see my family also, thank you so much to everyone," he said visibly overcome.
Meanwhile, Huan said he would give part of the RM5,000 bail returned to him today, to Selvam as a gift and to cover his travel expenses back to India.
"I am relieved that this case is finally over. Let him go home to his country of origin. What is important is that I have fulfilled my responsibility as best as possible to take care of him all this while," he said.
Bernama
Tue Jun 14 2016

Magistrate Mohamad Ibrahim Mohamad Ghulam said the prosecution team had failed to establish a prima facie case against C.Selvam.

China promises Latin America 'trustworthy' ties as Trump lays out demands
Beijing looks to improve its foothold in a region historically under the US sphere of influence.

Major risks loom as Trump upends US Russia policy
Washington's approach changes dramatically with the initial meeting between US and Russian negotiators.

Pope Francis has double pneumonia, complicating his treatment, Vatican says
Doctors say a polymicrobial infection occurs when two or more micro-organisms are involved and can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi.

Philippines' VP Duterte challenges impeachment before Supreme Court
Sara Duterte makes her first legal move to fight the case that could lead to her removal and lead to a lifetime ban from public office.

Motor racing - Hamilton steps out in red at unprecedented 10 team F1 launch
I feel so full of life, so much energy, because everything's new and I'm just focused on what is up ahead, Hamilton says.

UAE tells US' Rubio it rejects displacement of Palestinians
The UAE's stance matters as its one of four Arab nations that normalised ties with Israel during Trumps first term.

Taylor Swift wins recording artist of the year crown for fifth time
The megastar's "The Tortured Poets Department" record also topped four IFPI charts, the IFPI says.

More than $50 billion needed to rebuild Gaza, World Bank joint assessment says
Years of rebuilding work, including clearing unexploded ordinance and millions of tonnes of rubble lie ahead.

Malaysia’s AI data centre development to be impacted by recent US restrictions - Liew
Liew Chin Tong says the restrictions would not affect the development of the domestic data centre ecosystem as a whole.

Sweden's top court rejects Greta Thunberg lawsuit on climate action
A court cannot decide that the parliament or the government must take any specific action, the Supreme Court says.
![[COLUMNIST] Trump’s Gaza (pipe) dream [COLUMNIST] Trump’s Gaza (pipe) dream](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-10/51728873693_EMIR.jpg)
[COLUMNIST] Trump’s Gaza (pipe) dream
The Gaza plan is dangerous and counter-productive as it's merely another recipe for regional instability.

Sivasangari eyes new career-high in world rankings
After climbing to a career-best world number seven, national women's squash ace S. Sivasangari is determined to keep rising.

Outburst against Steven Sim: DAP will probe if there's a complaint - Loke
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke says the disciplinary committee has not received any reports related to the incident so far.

US judge will not block Elon Musk from firing federal workers, accessing data
The case raises questions about Musk's apparent unchecked authority as a top deputy to President Donald Trump.

Dozens of false killer whales stranded on remote Australian beach
Rescue crews trying to save the majority of the large dolphins that survived the ordeal, according to authorities.

Trump restricts AP access over Gulf of Mexico issue
The AP, citing editorial standards, says it would continue to use the gulf's established name.

China to fly back 200 nationals rescued from Myanmar scam centres, Thai official says
This is part of a multinational effort to crack down on illegal online operations run from the region.

Somber Tiger Woods back in action in TGL loss to New York GC
Tiger Woods makes his first start since the death of his mother when he competed in a TGL match at Palm Beach Gardens.

Brazil's ex-President Bolsonaro charged in alleged coup plot
A total of 34 people were charged, including several military officials.

Trump and Musk target tax enforcers, rocket scientists, bank regulators for job cuts
Concerns grow over transparency, oversight, and Musk's influence on government operations.