Nalla lodges report against Manjeet over beheading threat

By The Star

PETALING JAYA: Datuk S. Nallakaruppan has lodged a police report against lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon for allegedly threatening to behead Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s former aide Anuar Shaari.

Nallakaruppan, who was Anwar’s former tennis partner, alleged that Manjeet had uttered the threat during a telephone conversation with him. He lodged the report at the Brickfields police station on Saturday.

Nallakaruppan claimed Manjeet had called him at 8.22pm on Friday to get an explanation on a news report, which had quoted Anuar as saying that Manjeet had persuaded Nallakaruppan to meet Anwar.

“Manjeet scolded me and questioned who is Anuar to publicly expose the (alleged) attempt to persuade me. He threatened to behead Anuar and walk on the street,’’ claimed Nallakarupan.

Anuar, who is former PKR secretary-general, was quoted in Utusan Malaysia recently as saying that Manjeet had continuously persuaded and made offers to Nallakaruppan to rekindle his friendship with Anwar and to support him.

Nallakaruppan said he had declined Manjeet’s invitation to meet and rekindle ties with Anwar.

“Manjeet is unhappy with me and Anuar because he wants to keep it (the act of persuasion) a secret,’’ he said.

Nallakaruppan claimed Manjeet was upset when the “secret” was published in the media.

Manjeet is the legal counsel for private investigator P. Balasubramaniam, known as PI Bala, who is now on a self-imposed exile after releasing two contradictory statutory declarations on the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaaribuu.

When contacted, Manjeet expressed shock and dismissed Nallakaruppan’s allegations against him as “absolute rubbish.”

“I didn’t threaten to behead Anuar. This is getting ridiculous. Who am I to threaten small-time politicians like Anuar?

“I also didn’t threaten Nallakaruppan who is a dear friend of mine,” he added.

Manjeet, however, admitted that he did try to persuade Nallakaruppan to be friends again with Anwar.

“But it has nothing to do with any political tie-ups or hook-ups. I just wanted Anwar and Nalla to be friends again,” he added.

Brickfields OCPD Asst Comm Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid confirmed Nallakaruppan had lodged a police report on the matter.

“We have forwarded the case to the Sentul district police headquarters as the alleged incident took place there,’’ he said yesterday.