GEORGE TOWN: Nine people, including a man, his five female companions and his mother-in-law, were charged at the Sessions Court here today with trafficking women for sexual exploitation.
They claimed trial to the charges which were read to them before Magistrate Jamilah Abd Manap.
K. Kumaran, 39, and the five women he claimed as his “wives” — T. Kausalya, 21, Sarmilah, 23, B. Kavitah, 33, D. Dhanam, 35, and S. Rajesvari, 35, — along with his mother-in-law S. Leelavathy, 47, were among the nine charged.
Others included E. Eswaran, 21, and P. Pumugam, 33.
Kumaran and Eswaran were escorted by the police to court while others appeared on their own after being released on police bail.
They, along with another person still at large, were charged on three counts of trafficking three women — R. Satis Wari, 24, R. Komathi, 26, and P. Malar, 36, — at 2A, Jalan Southbay 7, Residence @ Southbay in Batu Maung between June 2017 and January this year.
They were jointly charged under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking In Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007, read together with Section 34 of Penal Code, which can be sentenced under Section 12 of Atipsom Act 2007.
If convicted, they may serve not more than 15 years in jail and be fined for each charge.
The charge sheet were read out in Tamil and all the nine claimed trial.
Counsels Shamsher Singh Thind and J. Gunamalar represented all the accused while Deputy Public Prosecutor Farah Aimy Zainul Anwar prosecuted.
Farah Aimy told the court that no bail should be offered to all the accused on the ground that there was a flight risk and this involved a human trafficking case for sexual exploitation.
“There is a possibility of the accused disturbing the victims,” she said.
The counsels, however, argued that the charges do not prevent one from getting bail for the offense.
"Section 388(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code will be applicable where the court has the discretionary power to grant bail.
"Apart from Kumaran and Easwaran, others were on police bail, and yet they came to court today. That shows there is no flight risk.
"There is also no evidence that any of them had disturbed the victims since they were released on bail," Shamsher said.
Jamilah denied bail and fixed May 18 for case management.
It was reported that police rescued the victims after one of them escaped and lodged a report earlier this year.
It was found that the syndicate members tricked them by offering jobs in Batu Maung.
However, they were then exploited to offer sexual services in Penang, Johor Baru and Melaka.
They were also sexually and physically assaulted while they were detained at a rented home at Batu Maung.