MRT ELEVATOR ROBBER CHARGED
Suspect allegedly assaulted, robbed bank manager at MRT station in Cheras on Feb 14
AMAN allegedly seen in a viral video mercilessly punching and kicking a woman inside an elevator at the Taman Mutiara Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station, here, was charged at the Sessions Court yesterday.
Air-conditioner repairman G. Thinathayaalan, 25, pleaded not guilty to the charge before judge Mahyon Talib.
He was charged with robbing bank manager Lee Meei Shan, 40, by voluntarily causing hurt to the victim and fleeing with the latter’s MyKad, driving licence, two ATM cards and two credit cards, as well as RM400 cash.
He allegedly committed the offence inside an elevator at the MRT station in Cheras at 6.45am on Feb 14.
The charge, under Section 394 of the Penal Code, carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and whipping upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor N. Joy Jothy did not offer bail to the accused, deeming the incident as “cruel”.
“The incident at the MRT was caught on closed-circuit television camera and footage of the incident went viral.
“The incident was just cruel,” she said.
The case came to light when a CCTV camera recording of a woman being beaten up and then robbed in an elevator went viral on social media, resulting in a huge outcry from Netizens.
The woman was alone with the attacker in the elevator at the time of the incident.
She suffered injuries as a result of the beating.
Meanwhile, Thinathayaalan also claimed trial to committing armed robbery against Bangladeshi Hossain Mobarok and fleeing with eight boxes of Dunhill cigarettes from a convenience store 15 minutes before the incident at the MRT station, before judge Emilia Kaswati Mohamad Khalid.
The accused was charged with committing the offence at the KK Mart convenience store in Taman Taynton View, Cheras, at 6.30am on the same day.
The charge, under Sections 392/397 of the Penal Code, carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, and a fine and whipping upon conviction.