ALLEGED 'EXORCISM' CASE IN NOVENA CHURCH

DAY Two of Madam Amutha Valli Krishnan's suit for damages from Novena Church yesterday was marked by heated exchanges and one lawyer interrupting another.

When Madam Valli's lawyer, Mr R.S. Bajwa, cut in repeatedly while Senior Counsel Jimmy Yim was questioning her daughter Subashini Jeyabal, Mr Yim griped to Justice Lee Seiu Kin: "I find it so distracting that my learned friend keeps popping up and down like a jack-in-the-box."

At one point, Mr Yim shot at Mr Bajwa: "It's called shaking the witness. If my learned friend doesn't know how to shake a witness, I'm not going to teach him."

A war of words erupted following Mr Bajwa's objection to Mr Yim using notes from Madam Valli's medical files to raise questions about her personality.

Because Mr Bajwa kept standing up to raise objections, Mr Yim had to rephrase his question to the witness, which led to a different answer.

Following that, Mr Yim, clearly miffed, said to his opposing counsel: "Thank you, Mr Bajwa, you have done your job."

But Justice Lee did not let that slide. Reprimanding Mr Yim for making a remark that was "out of line", he asked that he say sorry to Mr Bajwa.

Mr Yim replied: "If Your Honour seeks to embarrass me in open court, then it is not fair to me."

He added that he would not deliver an apology in open court before the witness, as it would "diminish my standing".

He offered to go into chambers instead.

Justice Lee replied: "We will deal with this matter in chambers then."

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