IPOH: The High Court sentenced two friends to five years' jail for causing the death of a man three years ago.
Judge Bhupindar Singh Gurcharan Singh Preet meted out the prison sentences, effective from the date of arrest on March 8, 2020, after both the accused, Muhammad Iman Divaharan Abdullah, 44, and G. Suria Sekaran, 27, pleaded guilty to an alternative charge.
The duo were charged with causing the death of Ling Hua Chai, 47, by knowing that their actions could result in his death in front of the Huang Cheng KTV on Persiaran PM 2/5, Pusat Bandar Manjung, between 11.30pm on March 7, 2020, and 12.20am on March 8, 2020.
The charges were framed under Section 304 (b) of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34 of the same act which provides for punishment of imprisonment of up to 10 years, a fine or both upon conviction.
Prosecution was carried out by Deputy Public Prosecutors Khazrin Haffiz Khalil and Nasrul Hadi Abdul Ghani, while both the accused were represented by lawyers Tun Mohamad Ammar Aziz and Charan Singh Kartar Singh.
Earlier, Tun Mohamad Ammar, who represented Suria Sekaran, pleaded for a more lenient sentence for his client on the basis that this was Suria's first offence and that he apologised to the court and to the victim's family while also expressing regret for what he did.
Charan Singh, who represented Muhammad Iman Divaharan, said that his client who worked as a security guard had to take care of his ailing mother, his wife, and four school-going children. He had also saved the court's time by pleading guilty.
However, Khazrin Haffiz said that the confession from the two accused did not merit them in receiving a lighter sentence as the case involved public interest.
According to the facts of the case, the incident took place over an argument between the two accused and the victim together with a few other individuals when Muhammad Iman Divaharan parked his vehicle at the entrance and exit passage of the parking lot in front of the Huang Cheng KTV.
During the argument, Suria Sekaran inflicted serious injuries on the victim by using a knife. The victim succumbed to his injuries at 12.43pm on March 9, 2020. - BERNAMA