Indian origin doctor in Malaysia charged with assaulting wife

A court in Malaysia has ordered that an Indian-origin doctor be charged with assaulting his wife in a case dating back to nearly four years, after a lower court had acquitted him.

The high court at Shah Alam, capital of the Malaysian state of Selangor, ordered P. Mahendran, 47, to enter his defence on the charge after a lower court had acquitted him, media reports said Wednesday.

In the incident that took place Sep 6, 2009, Mahendran is accused of kicking a chair his wife, B. Bhavani, 41, was standing on in their home at Ampang town in Selangor, causing her to fall, and then going on to beat her with his hands.

A magistrate's court at Ampang had acquitted Mahendran of the charge Dec 22 last year without calling for a defence even after three witnesses testified, including the victim's father.

The prosecution had then appealed the ruling.

"The magistrate had failed to consider corroborative evidence and she had completely erred when she did not allow the prosecution to tender the medical report," judge Noor Azian Shaari was quoted as saying Tuesday while ordering Mahendran to enter his defence.

After the prosecution submitted that there was enough evidence for a prima facie case, judge Noor Azian ordered Mahendran to revert to the same Ampang magistrate's court and enter his defence.