The family of air force sergeant N Tharmendran, who is accused of stealing two fighter jet engines, plans to sell their house to raise money for his RM150,000 bail.

NONE His father, N Nagarajah, 71 ( left ), said they intend to sell their family home in Kg Jiboi Ampangan, Seremban, as they have no other way to raise the amount.

"My son has told me not to sell the family house, but I have no alternative," he told Malaysiakini today.

Tharmendran, who was charged in January this year with stealing two J8521-type engines from the RMAF base in Sungai Besi, is being held under remand at the Sungai Buloh prison awaiting his trial set for July 19.

Nagarajah is however finding it hard to find a buyer for their home in a low-cost housing scheme, which he bought some 40 years ago.

Even if he manages to sell the house, the retiree can only expect to get around RM95,000 - some RM65,000 short of the bail amount.

"If I get a buyer for the house, I will move in with my eldest son," Nagarajah said.

Nagarajah, who retired in 1992 after suffering a bad fall, has three sons - the eldest working as a teacher, while Tharmendran is the youngest. The second son is bed-ridden due to polio.

Last Friday, Nagarajah filed a police report claiming that his son had been tortured and "beaten like a cow" by RMAF officers while under detention at the Sungai Besi airbase.

air force f-5 jet engine missing two charged 060110 tharmendran Tharmendran ( right ) and businessman Rajandran Prasad were both charged in the Sessions Court in January this year in relation to the stolen jet engines.

Tharmendran was charged with stealing and abetting in the crime while Rajandran faced a charge of handling stolen property. Both were also charged with conspiring to steal the engines.

Tharmendran was also charged with conspiring in the theft of the two engines with senior serviceman Mohamad Shukri Mohamad Yusop at the material processing shed (Matra 1) of the RMAF base in Sungai Besi.