In Kevin Morais murder trial, four accused told to get new lawyer after counsel falls into coma

(MMO) – Four of the six people accused of murdering former deputy public prosecutor Datuk Anthony Kevin Morais were ordered by the High Court today to seek another legal representative after their counsel fell into a coma following a road accident.

V. Rajehgopal had been acting for the four accused — R. Dinishwaran, AK Thinesh Kumar, M. Vishwanath, and S. Nimalan — but sustained critical injuries, including to his spine, last month that now prevents him from continuing with his duties.

“Your honour, I have been informed, as far as Mr Rajeh is concern, he is involved in a very serious accident about four weeks ago and current status he is in a coma and on life support. So, his condition is apparently very serious.

“I was also told that it would be impossible for him to continue acting for the four accused,” lawyer Datuk N. Sivananthan representing the fifth accused, army doctor Colonel R. Kunaseegaran, told High Court Judge Datuk Azman Abdullah when trial resumed this morning.

The sixth accused, Ravi Chadaran, is represented by lawyer A. Sheelan.

The judge gave Dinishwaran, Thinesh Kumar, Vishwanath and Nimalan a month to find a lawyer of their own choice, failing which the court will appoint one for them.

“The court will now provide you with ample time to appoint a new counsel and if in that time you are unable to appoint a new counsel due to financial or any other reason, the court will then appoint a counsel for you because all of you must be represented at all times,” he said.

The next court date is set for January 24, 2020.

All six were charged with killing Morais on September 4, 2015 when he was on his way to work at No. 1 Jalan USJ 1/6D, Subang Jaya, Selangor from his home on Jalan Dutamas 1, Sentul, Kuala Lumpur.

The murder charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same law, carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

Saiful Edris Zainuddin and Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin prosecuted.