Monotosh, 41, made the plea after the charge was read to him before judge Rasyihah Ghazali.

According to the charge sheet, the accused, along with another individual, dragged an adult cat tied to a snare while riding a motorcycle.

The offence allegedly took place in a residential area at Section 31, Shah Alam, between 2pm and 2.15pm.

The charge was framed under Section 29(1)(e) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015 for animal cruelty, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.

If found guilty, the accused could be fined between RM20,000 and RM100,000, or imprisonment for up to three years, or both.

Veterinary services department prosecutor Sharif Sabran asked for bail to be fixed at RM20,000 in one surety and requested that the accused’s passport be surrendered to the court.

Monotosh’s lawyer, K Bagia Sri Devi, requested a lower bail of RM10,000, saying her client only earns RM1,500 a month.

She said Monotosh, who has no family in Malaysia, would be bailed by his employer.

The court set bail at RM13,000 in one surety and ordered Monotosh to surrender his passport.

Earlier, the judge granted Sharif’s request to issue an arrest warrant for another foreign national who was supposed to be charged alongside Monotosh but failed to appear.

The court fixed Nov 4 for re-mention of the case.