GEORGE TOWN: It took almost 24 hours for T Previin’s family to gather their nerves and deliver the sad news of the passing of his friend, T Nhaveen, who was brutally assaulted and sodomised by a group of teenagers last Saturday.
Nineteen-year-old Previin, who was injured in the attack, managed to escape and alert his family.
His uncle, MGR Devan, 57, said Previin went under the knife on Thursday at the Penang Hospital for an injury to his right eye.
"He was resting and asking about Nhaveen, but we did not tell him until the next day. We were hesitant because we did not want him to get too emotional; he had just finished his surgery.
"He was very frustrated and saddened by the loss when we told him. He could not take it. He was trying to hold back his tears and we had to console him until he fell asleep," he said when contacted.
Devan said that Previin will be allowed to go home within the next three days.
In the 2am incid¬ent at Jalan Kaki Bu¬kit near Kampung Kas¬tam, 18-year-old Nhaveen and Previin were attacked by a group of teenagers.
Previin managed to escape, but Nhaveen was continuously beaten and later had a fo-reign object shoved into his anus by the attackers.
Nhaveen slipped into a coma and was pronounced dead on Thursday evening.
Five teens have been ar¬rested by police so far and an investigation on the assault is ongoing.