AT the ripe old age of 80, the last thing lawyer Datuk Balwant Singh (pix) would have ever guessed could happen to him was being in the dock and accused of murder.
However, that was exactly what he had to face following a misadventure he encountered on June 7, 2002 in Jalan Maarof, Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur.
On that day, Balwant had left his office for home in his car which was driven by his daughter-in-law at about 4.30pm.
Along the way, a near-miss when another car drove up close to his prompted Balwant’s daughter-in-law to honk at the driver, who nonchalantly sped off.
However, a 33-year-old despatch clerk who was riding a motorcycle several metres away did not take the blare of the horn lightly.
Mistaking it as being directed at him, he pursued Balwant’s car, shouting profanities and other expletives at the duo each time the car came to a halt in heavy traffic.
The rider, Gobala Krishnan, trailed them and continued the pursuit, challenging Balwant and his daughter-in-law to a fight although they repeatedly tried to pacify the man by explaining they had not sounded the horn at him.
At a road junction later, the woman pulled over the car and a confrontation between Balwant and Gobala ensued.
Balwant claimed that Gobala had picked up a long piece of wood and used it to threaten and attack him.
On seeing this, the lawyer, who was licensed to carry a firearm, warned Gobala that he was carrying a handgun and flashed it with the hope it would deter the man from committing further aggression.
Unperturbed by the sight of the handgun, Gobala continued his violent tirade and even challenged Balwant to shoot him.
Fearing for his safety, Balwant whipped out his weapon and fired a warning shot into the air.
When the despatcher remained defiant and purportedly swung the stick at Balwant, the latter pointed his handgun at him and fired a second shot.
Taking a gunshot on his right shoulder, the stunned Gobala turned around and walked towards his motorcycle.
He sat on the curb of the street and moments later collapsed and died.
The despatcher, who was riding a stolen motorcycle at the time, had a history of involvement with secret societies and had spent time in restricted residence prior to the incident.
Two months later, Balwant was charged with murder but was allowed bail by the High Court.
In July the following year, he was acquitted after the court ruled that the lawyer had acted in self-defence and had made sufficient attempts to defuse the situation or pacify the despatcher before resorting to use his firearm to protect himself when his subtle approach failed.
Balwant continued his practice for more than a decade before his demise at age 95 in 2017.
