The police have arrested six suspects to assist investigations into the brutal attack against Datuk M Ramachandran, the chief executive of the Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB).

According to The Vibes, the men were picked up around Bukit Mertajam after the board directors subimitted a list of possible perpetrators to the police.

Ramachandran, 70, a renowned former unionist, was attacked by a four men with machetes as he was alighting from his car outside his home in Alma, Bukit Mertajam, last Friday night. The attack was witnessed by his neighbours and family, including his granddaughter.

The victim sustained grave slash wounds in the incident but is reportedly in a stable condition after undergoing a series of surgeries at the Gleneagles Hospital.

Although the police are yet to ascertain a motive for the attack, they have not ruled out that it could be related to the PHEB legally taking control of a few temples in the state, since the DAP-led state came to power in 2008.

Aside from that, the PHEB also provides aid initiatives for the community, and oversees the administration of burial grounds, Hindu religious matters, and the welfare of Tamil schools in the state.

This is said to have upset certain parties, who have lost control of the administration of their temples.

Following the arrests, lawyer RSN Rayer has urged the police to reclassify the case under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder, instead of under Section 335 for causing serious hurt.

Penang Chief Minister II P Ramasamy had also dubbed the attack against Ramachandran as an attack against him, the PHEB, and the Penang government as a whole.


Source: The Vibes
Photo source: Penang Indian Networks Facebook, PHEB Facebook.