Lawyers Datin Freda Sabapathy (left) and Sarawana Kumar together with the accused local Jaya Kandan Madachamy,47, (second left) and Sri Lankan Rathis Thas Ganapakiyam, 42.
JOHOR BARU: Two men, including a local sales assistant, have been acquitted by the High Court in a murder case dating back six years, escaping the death penalty.
Jaya Kandan Madachamy, 47, and Rathis Thas Ganapakiyam, 42, walked free without having their defence called. Rathis is a Sri Lankan national.
Justice Datuk Abu Bakar Katar ruled that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against them.
The charges alleged they murdered another Sri Lankan national, Vijayendran Rajkumaran, 27, between 10.50pm on April 8, 2019, and about 10am the following day, inside a shop in Kulaijaya.
They were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
Deputy public prosecutor Juanita Mohd Said prosecuted, while the accused were defended by lawyers Datin Freda Sabapathy and Sarawana Kumar.
Following their acquittal, both men described their six years in prison as a "difficult period" and expressed eagerness to reunite with their families.
They thanked their lawyers for their defence and pledged to steer clear of crime.
Rathis expressed a desire to return to Sri Lanka to see his ill mother, while Jaya hoped to rebuild his life by securing employment.
