Father of kids seen sticking heads out of moving car charged

IPOH - An insurance agent was charged at the Sessions Court here today with three counts of endangering his children, by allowing them to stick their heads out of the window of a moving car in Jalan Tambun last March.

T. Vengadasalabathi, 37, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges, which were read separately before Judge Ainun Shahrin Mohamad, of exposing his three children, aged four to eight, to danger in a moving car that could likely cause physical injuries.

The offence was committed at Jalan Tambun between 6.20pm and 6.45pm on March 22 and framed under Section 31 (1) (A) of the Child Act, and is punishable under Section 31 (1) of the same law, which provides a maximum fine of RM50,000 or a jail term of 20 years, or both, upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor, Evangelin Simon Silvaraj asked for the court to set bail at RM15,000 for each charge and that the accused should not be anywhere near the victims.

However, lawyer K. Nahtan, representing the accused, asked for a lower bail of RM2,500 for each charge, stating that his client has three children, a wife, and two parents to care for.

He also said that there was no element of sexual abuse involved and therefore no need to separate his biological children from him.

The court fixed bail at RM9,000 in one surety for all three charges and set July 1 for mention.

On March 24, police detained the father of the three children, who were seen sticking their heads out of the window of a moving car in Jalan Tambun, as seen in a video clip that went viral on social media. - BERNAMA