KUALA LUMPUR: Three men and two women were charged at the Selayang magistrate's court for the murder of a security guard near Sungai Choh in Rawang last month.
The accused G. Ganong Segaran, 34; his sister G. Malani, 33; S. Devi, 30; P. Saravanan, 31; and P. K. Vikinesvaran, 20; nodded in understanding when the charge was read before magistrate Nor Hafizah Rajuni today.
All of them were calm when they were ushered into the dock by several policemen.
However, no plea was recorded as the case comes under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
According to the charge sheet, the five are charged with murdering S. Ashok, 20, near a house in Jalan Sungai Buaya, Sungai Choh, in Rawang between 8am and 3.30pm on Dec 23.
The offence falls under Section 302 of the Penal code which is punishable with death or imprisonment for between 30 and 40 years with not less than 12 strokes, upon conviction.
Meanwhile, Ganong Segaran and his brother Dandem Bain, 30, pleaded not guilty at the same court for burying the victim's body near the area of the house between 3.30pm and 8pm on the same date.
They were charged under Section 201 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34, which carries maximum seven years imprisonment or a fine.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Nor Hakimi Mohamad Rosedin when prosecuted, did not offer bail to all of the accused.
However, lawyer Erni Ahmad who appeared for Dandem pleaded for minimum bail by stating that her client needs to support three children.
The court set RM5,000 bail in one surety against Dandem and fixed March 4 for mention.
It was reported that police believed the actions of a man who had disseminated indecent images of a woman were the motive behind the murder.
On Dec 23, it was reported that police arrested five suspects in connection with the discovery of a man's body buried behind the residence in Sungai Choh.
A 27-year-old neighbour lodged a police complaint over the murder after overhearing her neighbours' conversation, planning to dispose of the body.
On the same day of the discovery of the body, police arrested three suspects, two men and a woman.
The altercation reportedly started as a verbal argument before escalating into a physical brawl, ultimately causing the death of the victim.
In an attempt to conceal the incident, the suspect buried the victim's body behind their house.