Body in backyard: Two siblings among five charged with murder

KUALA LUMPUR - Five individuals, two of them siblings, were charged in the Selayang Magistrate's Court here today with the murder of a security guard whose body was found buried in the backyard of a house in Sungai Choh, Rawang, last month.

The two siblings, G. Ganong Segaran, 34, and his sister G. Malani, 33, as well as S. Devi, 30, P. Saravanan, 31, and P.K. Vikinesvaran, 20, were charged with murdering S. Ashok, 20, at a house in Jalan Sungai Buaya, Sungai Choh, Rawang between 8 am and 3.30 pm last Dec 23.

The charge, framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34 of the same law, provides for the death penalty or imprisonment for between 30 and 40 years and if not sentenced to death, shall be subjected to not less than 12 strokes of the cane, upon conviction.

All the accused nodded after the charge was read out to them before Magistrate Nur Hafizah Rajuni, but no plea was recorded as the murder case is under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

In the same court, Ganong Segaran and his brother, G. Dandem Bain, 30, pleaded not guilty to a charge of causing the disappearance of evidence of an offence to screen the offenders from legal punishment.

They were jointly charged with committing the offence at the same location and date between 3.30 pm and 8 pm.

The charge, framed under Section 201 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34 of the same law, provided a prison sentence of up to seven years or a fine, if convicted.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Nor Hakimi Mohamad Rosedin did not offer bail, but lawyer Erni Ahmad, from the National Legal Aid Foundation, requested bail for her client, Dandem Bain.

Nur Hafizah then set bail at RM5,000 with one surety for Dandem Bain and ordered him to not intimidate witnesses.

The court set March 4 for mention of both cases. - BERNAMA