4 claim trial to being members of ‘Captain Praba’ gang

2026-03-06 - 07:13

C Navindren, S Sridharan and S Pratifkumar were first charged on Jan 28 with being members of the ‘Captain Praba’ gang. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: Four men pleaded not guilty in the Shah Alam High Court today to being members of an organised crime group called “Captain Praba”. The charges against C Navindren, 38; S Sridharan, 30; S Pratifkumar, 30; and K Devaindran, 44 were read to them separately in Tamil before Justice Bhupindar Singh Gurcharan Singh Preet, Harian Metro reported. The offences were allegedly committed at an oil palm plantation on Jalan Mahang 2, Kampung Sungai Jarom, Jenjarom, in Kuala Langat from December 2023 until Sept 11 last year. The charges were framed under Section 130V(1) of the Penal Code, which provides for up to 20 years’ imprisonment upon conviction. Deputy public prosecutors Mustaffa P Kunyalam, Chow Siang Kong and Fakhrurrazi Ahmad Salim appeared for the prosecution while the four men were represented by lawyer Sean Dudley Samuel Jayarajan. Mustaffa applied for the four men to be tried jointly with 13 others also charged on Oct 8 last year as members of the “Captain Praba” gang. Three of the accused were first charged on Jan 28 in the Sepang sessions court with being members of the “Captain Praba” gang after being detained under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012. Police have linked the group to violent crimes including murder, armed attacks, arson and gang robberies in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang and Perak since 2023. Authorities launched a nationwide crackdown known as Op Jack Sparrow in September last year against the group, which is believed to have about 33 members. So far, police have arrested 17 suspected members, while others, including the alleged leader known as Captain Praba, are believed to have fled the country and may be hiding in India or Thailand.