Three men who went viral after allegedly being involved in an armed robbery at a grocery store in Taman Klebang Ria, Chemor on May 31 have been charged at the Ipoh Sessions Court.
The accused, S. Barani Tharan, 33, Yuvaneswara, 30, and M. Suntaresswaran, 28, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read before Judge Ainul Shahrin Mohamad.
They were accused of committing gang robbery using machetes against Phon Tuck Kei, 34, involving stolen items including RM850 in cash, a Redmi tablet and a Vivo mobile phone.
The offence was allegedly committed at a shop along Jalan Klebang Ria 2, Taman Klebang Ria at about 5.55am on May 31, 2026.
The three men were charged under Section 395 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and whipping upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor M. Raveenaa told the court that bail was not offered as the offence was classified as non-bailable. However, she said the matter remained subject to the court’s discretion and proposed bail of RM20,000 for each accused if granted.
She also requested additional bail conditions, including requiring the accused to report to the nearest police station once a month, provide a Malaysian guarantor and refrain from interfering with the complainant and prosecution witnesses until the case is concluded.
Defence lawyer K. Nahtan, representing all three accused, applied for a lower bail amount of RM4,000 each, citing that his clients worked as manual labourers and had family responsibilities involving their wives and parents.
The court later allowed each accused to be released on RM4,000 bail with one surety and fixed August 18 for the next case mention.
Previously, a closed-circuit television (CCTV) recording showing two machete-wielding men entering the shop and taking several items belonging to the victim went viral on social media.
