PETALING JAYA: A lorry driver has been sentenced to 12 months’ jail after pleading guilty to two charges linked to a TikTok influencer who was found dead in July allegedly because of bullying.
A Rajeswary, better known as Esha, 29, was found dead at her home in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, on July 5, a day after she filed a police report that she was being harassed on TikTok.
Kuala Lumpur sessions court judge Siti Aminah Ghazali handed down the sentence on B Sathiskumar, 40, after he changed his plea to guilty to two charges during today’s case mention.
The court ordered him to serve 12 months on each charge, concurrently from the date of his arrest on July 10, Harian Metro reported.
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"I am guilty. I won’t do it again. I ask for forgiveness, ma’am (judge), I won’t do it again,"he said from the dock.
On the first charge, Sathiskumar was accused of intentionally making obscene remarks with the intention of hurting others through his TikTok account, Dulal Brothers 360. The offence was allegedly committed at 10.12pm on June 30, with the remarks read at Jalan Ipoh, Sentul.
The charge was framed under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for the misuse of network facilities, punishable by up to one year imprisonment, a fine of up to RM50,000, or both, upon conviction.
On the second charge, Sathiskumar was accused of humiliating Rajeswary’s mother, R Puspa, 56, through the same TikTok profile on the same date, time and place.
The charge was framed under Section 509 of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum imprisonment of five years, a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Sabri Othman urged the court to impose a prison sentence, citing the severity of the offence, public interest, and the victim’s rights.
Defence lawyer Izwan Ishak, from the National Legal Aid Foundation, appealed for a lighter sentence, saying Sathiskumar earns only RM1,200 a month and is supporting his disabled wife and three children.
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