Malaysian Crime Watch Task Force (MyWatch) chairperson R Sri Sanjeevan has been arrested yet again, this time under the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 (Poca).

The arrest today marks Sanjeevan’s ninth iteration in a cycle of arrest, release, and rearrest since June 23. 

This time, however, he is being held under a law that allows for detention without trial for up to two years.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, his lawyer Preakas Sampunathan said the police will seek to remand Sri Sanjeevan tomorrow.

“What happened is that yesterday he was arrested for the eighth time, and today the (Kajang) magistrate allowed the remand only until today.

“I later received a call. They told me that Sanjeevan was rearrested under Poca, so tomorrow they will bring him to a magistrate to get the first remand under Poca,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

Preakas said the arrest was made at around 4.30pm but he was only informed about the arrest at around 6pm. The arrest was made by the Kajang police.

Meanwhile, Bukit Aman D7 principle assistant director Roslee Chik was quoted by Bernama as saying that police will be holding Sanjeevan for another 60 days.

“Sanjeevan was detained under Section 3(1) of Poca for another 60 days because he was believed to have committed criminal intimidation and extortion,” he was quoted as saying.

Section 3(1) of Poca provides that the police may detain a person without warrant, if there is reason for the police to believe there are grounds for an inquiry to be held under Poca against the person.

First arrested on June 22

Sanjeevan was arrested at the Nilai toll plaza on June 22 following allegations that he extorted RM25,000 from a gambling den operator. His driver, a 26-year old Indian national, was also arrested.

Since then, Sanjeevan had been arrested repeatedly under Sections 384 and 506 of the Penal Code, which deal with extortion and criminal intimidation respectively.

His arrest under Poca would likely mark a departure from this cycle, as it allows for a lengthier remand period of up to 21 days if the police can produce a written statement on why he should be held under Poca.

An inquiry officer appointed by the Home Ministry is to then take over the case, and would make representations to the Prevention of Crime Board on whether or not to impose restrictions on a detainee – in this case, Sanjeevan.

These restrictions can include being placed under police supervision for up to five years while being required to stay within a place, to wearing an electronic monitoring device and having to report regularly to a police station.

The board may also order for a person to be detained for up to two years.

Previously, theSun quoted unnamed sources claiming that the police had opened a total of 14 investigation papers against Sanjeevan.

These reportedly include allegations for falsifying documents, cheating, defamation, and offences under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001.

Prior to this, Sanjeevan had been vocal in speaking against corruption in the police force.

Sanjeevan was also in the news in 2013, after he was shot by unknown assailants while in his car but survived the attempt on his life.