Court acquits Dengkil temple chairperson, finds 'incurable defect' in trespass charge

The chairperson of the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Dengkil, Selangor, which is embroiled in a land dispute, has been acquitted of a criminal trespass charge by the Shah Alam High Court.

Judge Hazlina Hussain today quashed the charge against M Paramaguru, 49, who had pleaded not guilty at the Sepang Magistrate’s Court on Feb 9.

According to Paramaguru’s lawyers, the judge found that the charge sheet failed to establish that he had the necessary intention to commit a crime.

The judge also ruled that proceeding to a full trial would be a “waste of judicial time” as the charge contained a fatally “incurable defect”.

Paramaguru was represented by lawyers Latheefa Koya and Rajesh Nagarajan, while deputy public prosecutor Heikal Ismail appeared for the prosecution.

It was previously reported that Paramaguru was charged with criminal trespass for allegedly entering land belonging to Suhaili Ahmad without permission at 4.45pm on June 19 last year.

The charge was framed under Section 447 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of six months, a fine of up to RM3,000, or both.

Temple dispute remains unresolved

Weeks after Paramaguru claimed trial, the temple was allegedly targeted in an arson attack in broad daylight.

Suhaili, who owns the land where the temple stands, has previously denied that a temple structure existed on the site when he purchased the property.

He told Malaysiakini that only a “temple on wheels” was parked there, with no permanent structure on the land. He said he would not have bought the plot “even if it cost 10 sen” had he known a temple occupied the site.

The temple has rejected claims that it is “illegal”, saying it has been ready to relocate for years but that the Selangor government never completed the paperwork to formalise replacement land allocated in 1997.

The civil legal dispute between Suhaili and the temple remains ongoing.

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