KUALA LUMPUR: Two men suspected of killing a pregnant stray cat by placing it in a dryer and switching the machine on pleaded not guilty at the Selayang Sessions Court, here, today.
The two, A Mohanraj, 41, and S.S. Sathiya, 26, were charged with causing unnecessary suffering to the cat under Section 29 (1) (e) of the Animal Welfare Act 2015 and Section 29 (1) of the same Act read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.
The Act provides for a maximum of RM100,000 fine or a maximum of three years in jail or both, upon conviction.
The charge was read to them in front of judge Rasyihah Ghazali.
They were charged with committing the act at the Queen Self Service launderette in Taman Gombak Ria, here, on Sept 11 between 12.54am and 1am.
The judge then set bail at RM18,000 with one surety and fixed Oct 16 for remention.
The two however did not manage to make bail and were taken to the Sungai Buloh prison.
Apart from that, A Mohanraj, a taxi driver and S.S. Sathiya, a technician, are required to report to a nearby police station once a month.
The prosecution was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutor Ahmad Zuhaini Mahamad Amin while the accused were not represented.
Previously, both were detained last Friday by the Gombak district police headquarters' Criminal Investigation Department.
Another suspect is still being hunted by the police.
On Sept 13, a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage of the cat being placed in the dryer went viral, leading to animal activists and Malaysians in general calling for the authorities to take action against the perpetrators.
The cat was later found dead in the dryer by a customer.