PKR National Integration Committee chief N Gobalakrishnan was today charged with using criminal force to intimidate police officers and breaking public property during an illegal gathering at the Batu Caves temple on Nov 25.

He claimed trial and hearing has been fixed at the Shah Alam Sessions Court for five days from Jan 14 next year.

Judge Nurshinah Adzmi granted bail at RM20,000 with one surety, but Gobalakrishnan was unable to post bail today. The court also impounded his passport.

If found guilty, he is liable to a maximum five-year jail sentence and a fine.

Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail, who led a six-member prosecution team, initially objected to bail citing concerns that Gobalakrishnan would repeat the offences.

However, Gobalakrishnan’s lawyer R Sivarasa asserted that more serious criminal offenders have been granted bail in other courts.

“Even in for the (alleged) murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, (third accused, political analyst) Abdul Razak Baginda was granted bail. The AG did not object to his bail,” he said.

Abdul Gani then rose to deny this firmly: “For the record, we did object to bail but the judge decided otherwise. My learned friend should check his facts before making such accusations. Don’t anybody say that I didn’t object to bail.”

Receipt produced

Sivarasa also produced a receipt for a prayer session at the Batu Caves temple for the Hindu festival of Karthigai on the morning of Nov 25 and a police report explaining Gobalakrishnan’s presence at the temple.

“Based on these, there is no basis to believe that a commission of an offence. There are facts that show that, even at this stage, one cannot say the accused was part of the so-called illegal assembly, he was there for prayers,” argued Sivarasa.

The AG countered that the receipt written in Tamil does not reveal anything until it is translated and can be contested. He also raised doubt over the police report as it was lodged 13 days later.

After the court stood down for 15 minutes, Nurshinah announced her decision to the court packed with reporters and Gobalakrishnan’s family and supporters.

This is the PKR leader’s second charge in relation to the illegal gathering at Batu Caves. On Nov 28, he was among 40 people charged with illegal assembly .

At least 3,000 people had gathered at the Batu Caves temple grounds in the early hours of Nov 25, leading to police using tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd. They made 69 arrests.

Later that morning, more than 30,000 people gathered in the streets of Kuala Lumpur to protest the marginalisation of Indian Malaysians. Again, the crowd was dispersed with tear gas and water cannon. The rally was organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force.