In a press conference here today, activist Arun Dorasamy said he had also advised the witness, T Previin, to reject the offer from the police to place him under official protective custody.
This comes in the wake of threats the 22-year-old is facing from families and friends of those who were charged with Nhaveen’s murder.
Previin, who was also beaten up during the same incident in which Nhaveen was killed in 2017, filed a police complaint over the weekend that he was threatened by three men.
Nhaveen’s murder trial is ongoing but has been adjourned until June 29. Previin has yet to take the stand.
Arun said the police’s offer to take Previin into custody under the Witness Protection Act 2009 might deprive him of his personal liberties.
He said Previin’s placement under official witness protection might see him being “banished” to another state, assuming another identity and he might have to sever all contacts with his loved ones until the case is disposed of.
“We will be taking Previin to an undisclosed location for the time being so as to protect him on our own accord and will produce him whenever he is required at the trial,” he said.
Earlier, Arun accompanied Previin for an identification parade to identify three men who the latter claimed had hurled threats against him on two occasions last year.
Arun, a social activist, is best known for speaking about the conversion of Indira Gandhi’s children through the Ingat group, and he later formed Sekat in upholding the rights of vernacular languages to be taught in schools.
In Nhaveen’s case, Arun has formed the Nhaveen Action and Investigation League or “NAIL”.
In a short response, Penang northeast district police chief Soffian Santong said Previin is free to do as he wished but the police’s offer of witness protection remains open.
In a police report dated May 22, Previin had alleged that the three men had threatened him twice, once outside of his home in Bukit Gelugor, and again at a restaurant in Bandar Baru Air Itam.
Previin claimed the three men had threatened to kill him once those charged with Nhaveen’s murder are released from jail. The three men claimed to be friends of those charged.
He also alleged these incidents took place in February and March of last year but claimed he did not lodge police reports because an inspector at the Jelutong police station prevented him from doing so.
Four youths have been charged with murdering Nhaveen, near the Karpal Singh Learning Centre, Jalan Kaki Bukit, Gelugor between 11pm and midnight on June 9, 2017. They have since been detained at the Sungai Petani Juvenile Prison.
They were charged on June 19, 2017, with three days of the trial held from May 3.