PUTRAJAYA: An airline cargo manager began his two year jail sentence today after the Court of Appeal upheld his conviction for causing hurt to his wife, a police officer and his son.
A three-member panel of judges comprising Justice Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail, Datuk Azman Abdullah and Datuk Azmi Ariffin dismissed G. Sritharan’s appeal to overturn his conviction and jail sentence imposed by the High Court.
Justice Hadhariah said the High Court’s decision was correct and appropriate.
She issued a warrant of committal for Sritharan to be taken to prison since Sritharan had been on bail pending disposal of his appeal.
Sritharan, 47, was acquitted and discharged by the Sepang Magistrate’s Court on Dec 30, 2019 for causing hurt to A.Kogielavaani, 47, a police inspector and their son S. Vishalraj, 20, at a house in Jalan Mawar 5C, Taman Mawar, Sepang, Selangor at 8.30 pm on June 23, 2016.
On Oct 6, 2021, the Shah Alam High Court overturned the Magistrate’s Court ruling and found Sritharan guilty for committing the offences.
The court sentenced him to 2 years’ jail for causing hurt to his wife and another six months’ jail for causing hurt to his son. The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently from Oct 6, 2021.
Sritharan was convicted for the offence under Section 323 of the Penal Code, read with Section 326A, for causing hurt to his wife. Section 326A doubles the punishment of anyone convicted of causing hurt to a spouse.
According to the facts of the case, Sritharan slapped his wife and hit her with a helmet during an argument. He also kicked and hit his son with a helmet, when the son was trying to stop him from hitting his mother.
Sritharan had served 89 days in jail when he failed to get a stay of execution of his jail sentence at the High Court pending his appeal to the Court of Appeal.
On Jan 3, 2022, the Court of Appeal granted Sritharan leave to proceed with the appeal and also granted him a stay of execution of the sentence. He was released on bail pending the hearing of his appeal which was fixed today.
Lawyer Dinesh Muthal and Low Tze Ken represented Sritharan while deputy public prosecutor Aida Khairuleen Azli appeared for the prosecution.
