KUALA LUMPUR: The trial of five university students accused of murdering Malaysia National Defence University (UPNM) naval cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain was transferred to the High Court today.
Magistrate Siti Radziah Kamarudin made the order when the case came up for mention before her.
Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, 21; Muhammad Azamuddin Mad Sofi, 20; Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, 21; Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat, 21; and Mohamad Shobirin Sabri are jointly charged with committing the offence at Room 04-10, Lodging Block, Jebat Hostel, UPNM, Kem Perdana, in Sungai Besi, between 4.45am and 5.45am on May 22.
The offence carries a mandatory death penalty, if convicted.
The case of another student Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali, 20, who was charged with abetting the five in the murder was also transferred to the High Court today.
Meanwhile, their case under Section 330 of the Penal Code with 13 others for voluntarily causing hurt to 21-year-old Zulfarhan with the intention of extracting a confession over the alleged theft of a laptop will be mentioned on Oct 27.
The 13 others are Mohd Hafiz Fauzan Ismail, Mohamad Lukhmanul Hakim Mohd Zain, Ahmad Shafwan Berdal, Muhammad Amirul Asraff Mala, Luqman Hakim Shamsuri, Muhammad Sufi Mohd Mustapha, Noriznan Izzairi Noor Azhar, Muhamad Ashraf Abdullah, Muhammad Danial Firdaus Azmir, Muhammad Hasif Ismail, Muhammad Akmal Akif Alias, Muhammad Adib Iman Fuad Adi Sany and Mohamad Syzawan Musa.
They were all aged 20 and 21 years old.
The offence was allegedly committed at Room 04-10, at the same place between 1.30am on May 21 and 4.30am on May 22.
The offence carries a maximum seven years’ jail and a fine, if convicted.
Zulfarhan, a third year student, died on June 1 at 9pm at the Serdang Hospital, due to alleged bullying.
According to reports, Zulfarhan was taken to the hospital with severe injuries, including burns on his body, believed to be from having a steam iron pressed onto his chest, hands and feet.
Deputy public prosecutor Mohd Nordin Ismail prosecuted while the accused were represented by lawyers Mohd Fadhly Hashim, Datuk Ranjit Singh Dhillon, Zamri Idrus, A.G. Kalidas, Datuk Hazizah Kassim, Joshua Tay, Ariff Amirul Abdul Jani, and Datuk Sri M. Ramachelvam.