Fourteen people who pleaded guilty to taking part in the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) mass protest in 2007 were fined RM750 each after which they were released by the Shah Alam Sessions Court today.

Those who were fined were the last batch of 66 who were initially prosecuted for taking part in an illegal assembly ( pix below ) at Batu Caves on the night prior to the massive Hindraf rally on Nov 25, 2007 which saw 30,000 people march through Kuala Lumpur.

police_at_batucaves_hindraf2007_07022009 Sessions Court judge Hasbi Hasan told the accused that should they fail to pay the fine, they would be sentenced to a one-month jail term. All 14 paid the fine amount which was forked out by Hindraf.

In mitigation, lead counsel GK Ganesan pleaded for a fine of between RM500 and RM650 saying that it was their first offence and that they were mostly from the lower income group earning only between RM20 to RM30 daily.

Police Watch Malaysia coordinator S Jayathas, who is also national coordinator for the now- banned Hindraf, said the movement had decided the pay the fines on behalf of the 14 as the assembly which they had taken part in had been organised by Hindraf.

"Due to the fact that they were a part of an assembly organised by Hindraf, we have paid the sum," he revealed.

Jayathas told Malaysiakini that a total amount of RM10,500 was paid out because Hindraf was ‘duty-bound’ to solve the matter.

Second habeas corpus writ

Bernama reported that 13 of the group pleaded guilty to a charge of causing damage to public property under Section 149/440 of the Penal Code.

uthayakumar sedition trial 201008 02

The remaining one pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 143 of the code for using criminal force to instil fear in the police who were discharging their duties at the place of the incident.

With today’s closure of all cases related to those who took part in the Nov 25 rally, the only unresolved Hindraf-related case is the sedition trial of Internal Security Act-detained Hindraf chief P Uthayakumar ( left) at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court which will resume on April 28.

Malaysiakini was informed that in view of Uthayakumar's worsening overall health condition, his family would be filing another writ of habeas corpus at the Kuala Lumpur High Court tomorrow to seek his release from ISA detention.

On May 14 last year, the Federal Court had dismissed a habeas corpus application by Uthayakumar and four other Hindraf leaders citing that the order to detain the five had been lawfully executed.

A motion to the apex court for a review of its decision was also dismissed on Feb 11 this year.

The Hindraf 5, Uthayakumar, 47, V Ganabatirau, 35, R Kenghadharan, 41, T Vasantha Kumar, 35, and 47-year-old M Manoharan were arrested under the ISA on Dec 13, 2007.