KLANG — A man and a woman were charged at the Sessions Court here today with allegedly committing animal cruelty by strangling a male dog named Rocky with a looped rope last month.
Muhammad Shah Idham Nor Haikal Shaharom, 24, and S. Roghini Devi, 42, were accused of committing the offence between 11pm and 11.30pm on July 29 in front of a house along Jalan Sama Gagah 20, Taman Telok Gedung Indah.
The charges were brought under Section 29(1)(e) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015, which carries a fine of between RM20,000 and RM100,000, imprisonment for up to three years, or both upon conviction.
Both accused entered their pleas before Sessions Court judge Mujib Saroji.
Department of Veterinary Services prosecuting officer Mohd Sharif Sabran requested bail of RM20,000 with one surety each, as well as orders for both accused to surrender their passports and report to the Selangor DVS once a month until the cases are concluded.
However, Shah Idham’s lawyer Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali urged the court to reduce the bail to RM3,500, arguing that the proposed amount was excessive and should not be punitive.
Rafique said his client had no previous convictions, had lived in Klang for 22 years and was not a flight risk.
Roghini’s lawyer Jeremy Vinesh Anthony also sought bail of RM3,500 without additional conditions, citing her family circumstances and cooperation with authorities.
He said Roghini had a disabled husband and four young children, and had cooperated with investigators after being summoned to the Klang Selatan district police headquarters.
The court subsequently set bail at RM6,000 with one surety each and ordered both accused to report to the Selangor DVS once a month.
The court fixed Oct 8 for mention.
Rocky died during an enforcement operation in the neighbourhood.
The case drew public attention after a video went viral showing several individuals allegedly tying and pulling the dog by its neck while a woman pleaded for it to be released.
Last week, Shah Idham denied abusing or killing Rocky, saying he had acted as a community representative following a written invitation from the Jalan Sama Gagah Rukun Tetangga to assist council officers.
Roghini, meanwhile, claimed she returned home that day to find Rocky restrained by a snare around its neck and said her repeated pleas for the dog to be released were ignored.
On Aug 2, the DVS Animal Welfare Team lodged a police report and recorded statements after receiving Rocky’s carcass.
-New Straits Times
