KUALA LUMPUR: Six university students accused of murdering and abetting in the murder of Malaysia National Defence University (UPNM) naval cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain pleaded not guilty at the High Court here.
Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, Muhammad Azamuddin Mad Sofi, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat, Mohamad Shobirin Sabri and Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali, all 21, entered their plea before judge Datuk Azman Abdullah.
On June 14 , the first five accused were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder which carries a mandatory death sentence while Abdoul Hakeem was charge under Section 109 of the Penal Code for abetting.
They were accused of 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 court fixed Nov 13 for mention.
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 prosecutors Othman Andullah and Nur Akmal Farhan Aziz prosecuted while the accused were represented by lawyers Mohd Fadhly Hashim, Nur Syuhada Abdullah, Zamri Idrus and Joshua Tay.