Delivery man pleads guilty to assaulting journo Haresh Deol

KUALA LUMPUR: A 37-year-old delivery man has pleaded guilty to assaulting veteran journalist Haresh Deol in an incident at Bangsar on Tuesday (Nov 25).

R. Krishnan, who was charged together with another suspect still at large, was accused of voluntarily causing hurt to Haresh, 43, in front of the Tanjung Balai Group building, Jalan Telawi 3.

The incident took place between 3.10pm and 3.32pm on Nov 25.

When asked to enter a plea, the accused pleaded guilty to the offence.

The charge was framed under Section 323 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum one-year imprisonment or fine of up to RM2,000, or both.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Hench Goh sought for a different date to prepare the statement of facts and for sentencing.

He proposed a bail of RM4,000 in one surety pending the next proceedings.

Meanwhile, lawyer Mohamad Salihen Mastor, who represented the accused, asked for a lower bail amount.

“My client works as a delivery runner and only makes RM40 per day. He has six children, and his youngest is one year old.

“His wife is present in court today. We ask for a lower bail,” Salihen said.

Magistrate Illi Marisqa Khalizan fixed bail at RM2,000. The court also set Jan 22 for sentencing.

On Tuesday, Haresh, who is the founder of the TwentyTwo13 portal, was assaulted by two individuals in Bangsar, with one of them recording the attack on a mobile phone.

The attack has been condemned by Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm), the Sports Writers Association of Malaysia (SAM), National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJ and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM), with many expressing concern over the seemingly targeted attack against a journalist who was carrying out his duty.

However, Kuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Fadil Marsus said the suspect involved was believed to have targeted the wrong person.

He said initial investigations suggest the attack stemmed from a personal motive involving alleged harassment of the suspect’s wife.