Two brothers charged with murdering a man at a palm oil plantation house in Kangkar Pulai, with the case set for mention in April pending reports
JOHOR BAHRU: Two brothers were charged in the Magistrate’s Court here with the murder of a man at a palm oil plantation house last September.
R. Arasan, 32, and R. Utes, 36, nodded in acknowledgment after the charges were read before Magistrate Nabilah Nizam.
They are accused of jointly murdering 28-year-old V. Thamil Selvan at an unnumbered house on a plantation in Kangkar Pulai, Skudai, between 12.30 am and 4 am on Sept 15.
The charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read with Section 34, carries the death penalty or up to 40 years’ imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Siti Aishah Latif acted for the prosecution, while lawyers Mohd Hamizi Mohd Yusof and Mohamad Isa Mohamad Basir represented the accused.
The court set April 6 for a case mention, pending autopsy, toxicology, and DNA reports, and denied bail.
The accused arrived at court in a police vehicle escorted by officers, including the case investigating officer.
Yesterday, Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said six human skeletons were found in a burned-down house on the same plantation.
The victims, believed dead for over three months, included a 28-year-old man and five members of the same family.
Police had earlier arrested four local suspects, aged 19 to 35, in Iskandar Puteri on Jan 21.
Two other suspects were released on police bail to act as prosecution witnesses.
