By Asia Samachar | Malaysia |
A 19-year-old man and woman were charged in the Magistrate’s Court in Sepang, Selangor, today (July 10) over the murder of university student Maniishapriet Kaur Akhara in Cyberjaya last month.
The murder of the 20-year-old student hailing from Kuching, Sarawak, had gripped the nation with calls for improved security for student accommodation, with her family calling upon the Ministry of Higher Education and all relevant agencies to ensure and mandate that all universities and colleges urgently review and strengthen safety measures for all their students.
Maniishapriet was found dead in her condominium unit by a friend on June 24 at about 10:00 am. An autopsy identified her cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head.
At the courts, the first accused, M Sri Darvien, was charged murdering Maniishapriet at Block A, Mutiara Ville Cyberjaya, Persiaran Multimedia, on June 23.
He nodded to indicate he understood the charge after it was read before Magistrate Khairatul Animah Jelani. If convicted, Sri Darvien faces the death sentence or imprisonment between 30 and 40 years along with whipping, reported The Malay Mail.
In the same court, the second accused, D. Thineswary, was charged with abetting the murder at the same location and on the same date.
She was charged under Section 109 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 302. If convicted, Thineswary also faces the death sentence or imprisonment between 30 and 40 years and is liable for whipping, the report added.
No plea was recorded from either accused, as murder cases fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
Lawyers M Manoharan and Mohamed Baharudeen Mohamed Ariff appeared for Sri Darvien and Thineswary, respectively. Lawyer Rajpal Singh held a watching brief for Maniishapriet’s family. The court then fixed September 11 for mention, according to the report.
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