KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 — Lawyer Gobind Singh today claimed that his client, anti-crime NGO chief Datuk R. Sri Sanjeevan was physically abused and not fed while in detention, after being charged under the Prevention of Crime Act (Poca) 1959 for alleged extortion.

"During proceedings in the Sessions Court, I complained to the Judge that Sanjeevan had informed me that he was abused during detention under Section 4(1)(a) of the Prevention of Crime Act 1959.

"He said he was handcuffed, blindfolded and beaten. In addition, he was not provided with medicine or food all of today. He also complained that his requests for medical treatment to treat a problem of internal bleeding was ignored,” Gobind told Malay Mail Online in a statement.

Gobind said that he proceeded to apply for an order directing the police to take Sanjeevan for a medical check-up and that the Malaysian Crime Watch Task Force (MyWatch) chairman be allowed to lodge a police report over his allegations.

"I told the court that Sanjeevan’s complaints were serious as he was detained for 21 days by way of a court order obtained at the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court on July 11 and that order does not provide for any form of abuse being inflicted on him,” Gobind added.

Sanjeevan was today charged under Section 55B(1) of the Immigration Act 1959 in the Sessions Court in Seremban for employing illegal foreign workers and Section 384 of the Penal Code later, for blackmail in the Seremban Magistrate’s Court.

Local daily the New Straits Times (NST) reported that Sanjeevan was charged under the Penal Code for extorting RM25,000 from Hon Goh Toh, 38, as protection money at the Nilai toll plaza at 10.45pm on June 22 and if found guilty, can be jailed a maximum of 10 years, be fined or whipped.

The daily reported that at the Sessions Court meanwhile, Sanjeevan was charged with hiring Indian national, Manivannan Muthukumar, who did not possess a valid working pass and if convicted, can be fined between RM10,000 and RM50,00 with a jail term not exceeding 12 months or both, if convicted.

NST reported that presiding Sessions Court judge Fathiyah Idris and Magistrate Nurulfitriza Abd Latif had set August 1 for re-mention of the case.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Saiful Hazmi was acting for the government.