JOHOR BARU: A man escaped the gallows after the High Court here acquitted and discharged him of a double murder that took place seven years ago.
M. Jaykumar, 39, who was previously charged with the murder of PK Kamala and S. Silvaraja, walked out of the courtroom a free man after Justice Abu Bakar Katar made the ruling.
“The court rules that there is no prima facie case for the charges against the accused.
“The accused is ordered to be discharged and acquitted of both charges without being called to enter his defence,” Justice Abu Bakar said yesterday.
In his judgment, he said there was inadequate proof to connect Jaykumar, who was working as a labourer in Singapore, to the murders.
“The prosecution relies on circumstantial evidence to prove that the deaths of the two deceased were caused by injuries inflicted by the accused,” he said.
“The court finds that the available evidence is insufficient to link the accused to the murders.”
He added that the prosecution also failed to prove whether the jewellery sold at a pawnshop by the accused belonged to one of the victims.
Justice Abu Bakar also said no blood traces from the deceased were found on the accused’s belongings, and the investigating officer did not send his clothes or items for DNA testing.
“The prosecution chose Oct 31, 2018 around 7pm to Nov 1, 2018 around 3am as the estimated time of death.
“However, according to a witness testimony, one of the deceased was still on the phone at 11.40pm, casting doubt on the timeline presented,” he added.
In 2018, Jaykumar was charged with the murder of Kamala, 51, and Silvaraja, 59, at a low-cost flat in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah.
