BATU PAHAT, Aug 17 (Bernama) -- Four men were charged in the Magistrate's Court here today over the murder of an entrepreneur earlier this month.
No plea was recorded from S. Yogesvaran, 40, Lin Yong Ming, 26, N. Achutan, 32, and How Han Wei, 33, after the charge was read out before Magistrate Mustaqim Sukarno, as the case falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court and is not bailable.
They are charged with murdering Low Kai Xian, 39, between July 29 at about 2.35 pm at Jalan Emas Putih 2, Taman Sri Skudai, Johor Bahru to Aug 3 at about 12.30 pm at Sungai Tanjung Sembrong, Batu Pahat.
The offence was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same act, which provides for the death penalty or a maximum prison sentence of 40 years, and not less than 12 strokes of the cane if the death penalty is not imposed.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Nur Shahzleen Ibrahim.
Accused Achutan was represented by lawyer S. Sean Dodley, while the three other accused were represented by lawyer Datin Freda Sabapathi.
Mustaqim then set Oct 14 to await the post-mortem report, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), closed-circuit television (CCTV) and telephone forensics.
Previously, the media reported that the police had arrested five suspects following the discovery of the body of a 39-year-old man who was found floating and wrapped in a net in Sungai Tanjung Sembrong, Parit Raja, near here, earlier this month.
Initial investigations found that the victim was believed to have been killed by strangling his neck with a rope before being taken into a vehicle, his hands tied with duct tape and his body wrapped in a net.
Five stones were also found on the body which were believed to have been used to drown the victim.
The victim was reported missing by his wife since July 29, while his family only found the victim's vehicle in Johor Bahru.
-- BERNAMA