PETALING JAYA: A technician from the United States pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here on Tuesday to a charge of causing the death of a local man at an entertainment outlet last month.

       Thomas Joseph, 30, was accused of causing the death of K. Chandra Bose, 58, resulting from injuries sustained by the victim at 12.30am on March 23.

       He was charged under Section 304(a) of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum imprisonment of 30 years and may be liable to a fine, upon conviction.

       Deputy public prosecutor Anis Hakimah Ibrahim declined to grant bail, citing the seriousness of the offense.

       "The court must take into account the public interest and the fact that the accused is a foreign national. Granting bail poses a flight risk and potential failure to appear in future proceedings," she submitted.

       However, Anis proposed that if the court decides to grant bail, the prosecution suggests imposing a high bail along with additional conditions, such as surrendering his passport, reporting to the police station monthly, and refraining from tampering with prosecution witnesses.

       Joseph’s lawyer, Datuk Suraj Singh, applied for his client's release on bail citing that the charge is under Section 304 of the Penal Code and not Section 302, which pertains to murder.

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       He assured that the accused would comply with the prosecution’s additional conditions.

       Judge Dr. Syahliza Warnoh refused to grant bail and set May 28 for case mention.

       Previously, Bernama reported that a local man died after allegedly being punched by a foreigner during a brawl, causing the victim to fall and fracture his head.- Bernama