Temple chairman freed of trespassing charge in Dengkil

A temple chairman, M Paramaguru, 49, has been freed of a charge of criminal trespass on private land in Dengkil after the court struck out the charge against him.

His lawyer, Latheefa Koya, said Judge Hazlina Hussain made the decision after quashing the charge faced by her client. She revealed this when contacted by Bernama following the proceedings.

Also present at the proceedings was Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Heikal Ismail.

Latheefa said that in delivering the decision, Hazlina noted that the charge as framed failed to disclose that Paramaguru had the intent required to commit an offence.

The judge also said that if the case were to proceed to a full trial, it would only waste judicial time as the charge contained a defect that could not be cured.

Paramaguru, as the applicant, filed the application on March 25 on the grounds that the charge was defective and could not be sustained as it failed to state and particularise an essential element of the alleged offence, namely the specific mens rea.

This included the prosecution's failure to state that the entry onto the land was done with the intention to commit an offence, or to intimidate, insult or annoy the person in possession of the property.

According to the application, although the charge was framed under Section 447 of the Penal Code, it did not disclose any offence known to law.

Paramaguru, who is also a security guard, had earlier pleaded not guilty to entering land belonging to Suhaili Ahmad, 71, without permission at Jalan Selangor, Dredging, Dengkil at 4.45pm on June 19, 2025.

The charge was brought under Section 447 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of six months or a fine of up to RM3,000, or both, upon conviction.