Dengkil Hindu temple chairperson charged with criminal trespass
The chairperson of the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple in Dengkil, Selangor, which has been at the centre of a dispute, has been charged with criminal trespass at the Sepang Magistrate’s Court.
M Paramaguru, 49, who also works as a security guard, pleaded not guilty when the charge was read out before magistrate Khairatul Animah Jelani.
According to the charge, Paramaguru allegedly committed criminal trespass by entering land belonging to Suhaili Ahmad without permission.
The offence is said to have occurred at 4.45pm on June 19 last year at Jalan Selangor, Dredging, Dengkil.
The charge was framed under Section 447 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum imprisonment of six months, a fine of up to RM3,000, or both.
Deputy public prosecutor Iznina Hanim Hashim requested that bail be set at RM8,000 with one surety.
However, the accused’s lawyer, Darshela Hari Raja, asked for a lower bail, pointing out that her client earns only RM1,800 a month as a security guard.
“The accused is married and has two young children aged six years and 11 months, while his 41-year-old wife is a housewife dependent on her husband’s income.
“Therefore, we request that a lower bail be imposed on the accused, as he has fully cooperated with the police and has no prior criminal record,” she said.
The court eventually set bail at RM4,000 with one surety and scheduled March 12 for the submission of documents.
Temple at the centre of dispute
Paramaguru was arrested at his home at Jalan Selangor, Dredging, Dengkil at 3.30pm yesterday.
Earlier reports noted that the landowner had given the temple management a one-week deadline to vacate the land.
Last week, the temple denied claims that it is “illegal,” insisting it has been ready to relocate for years, but the Selangor government never completed the paperwork to formalise replacement land allocated in 1997.
Suhaili, however, denied that a temple structure existed when he acquired the land. He told Malaysiakini that there was only a “temple on wheels” parked there, with no permanent structures on the site.
“If I had known that there was a temple occupying the land, I wouldn't have bought it. Not even if it costs 10 sen,” he added.
