Justice Radzi Abdul Hamid fixed the dates after the Court of Appeal overturned their acquittal on Jan 13 and ordered them to enter their defence.

Radzi will continue hearing the trial despite now serving in the Melaka High Court.

Lawyer R Thevan told the court that the defence planned to call “seven to eight” witnesses. Deputy public prosecutor Sariza Ismail prosecuted.

Nhaveen, who was 18, died in 2017 following a brutal attack by a group of teenagers at a park in Bukit Gelugor.

The accused – J Ragesuthan, 22, S Gokulan, 22, and two others who were juveniles at the time – are charged with committing the offence near the Karpal Singh Learning Centre, Jalan Kaki Bukit, Bukit Gelugor, between 11pm and midnight on June 9, 2017.

They were freed in October 2023 before the appellate court overturned the decision.

A three-member Court of Appeal panel unanimously ruled that the prosecution had proven a prima facie case against the four and that the earlier High Court judge had erred in freeing them.

The panel also reversed the acquittal granted to the four from a charge of assaulting T Previin, 19, with a dangerous weapon, and ordered them to enter their defence.

Previin, who was with Nhaveen at the time of the incident, sustained serious injuries to his eyes and head.

The same Court of Appeal upheld the acquittal of S Gopinaath, 34, who was charged in 2021, four years after the attack. The court found no case against him and ruled that his late prosecution was unfair.

The four accused have been in remand since their acquittal was overturned and will remain so since they were not granted bail.