A 23-year-old man faces two murder charges for the deaths of his mother and adopted sister in a Teluk Air Tawar house fire on December 10.
BUTTERWORTH: A man was charged at the Magistrate’s Court here today with two counts of murdering his mother and adopted sister in a house fire.
Daniel Qayyum Kamalrolzlan, 23, nodded in understanding when the charges were read out before Magistrate Balqis Roslin.
No plea was recorded as the case falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
He is accused of murdering Hayani Yaakob, 51, and a six-year-old girl at a house in Taman Teluk Air Tawar at 9.45 am on December 10.
The charges were framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years, and not fewer than 12 strokes of the cane.
Magistrate Balqis Roslin denied bail and set January 29 for mention pending submission of the post-mortem reports.
The prosecution was conducted by prosecuting officer Insp Nor Idayu Yusoff, while the accused was unrepresented.
On December 23, Penang police chief Datuk Azizee Ismail said the fire was believed to have been caused by the victim’s son.
In the incident, Hayani and her adopted daughter were burnt to death after being trapped in the house.
The accused was injured after being crushed by a collapsing roof structure.
