KLANG: Four days after a 28-year-old private lab assistant was involved in an accident which killed a motorcyclist, he was charged at the Magistrate’s Court here for murder.
No plea was recorded from Saktygaanapathy Ravichandran, who is from Tepi Sungai here, as murder charges come under the purview of the High Court.
If found guilty, he faces the death penalty or imprisonment for a maximum of 30 years, but not exceeding 40 years, as well as not less than 12 strokes of the cane or death.
He was also charged under Section 15 (1) (a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act for alleged self-administration of benzodiazepine and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Saktygaanapathy pleaded guilty to the second charge and faced a fine of not more than RM5,000 or jail of not more than two years.
Both charges were read before Magistrate Khartiyayini Ambualagan.
Still dressed in the same T-shirt he had worn on the day of the incident, Saktygaanapathy was unrepresented, and no one appeared to be waiting for him as he was brought to court under heavy police escort.
In the 11.40am incident on Sunday, the accused had allegedly driven against the flow of traffic and rammed into a motorbike ridden by Amirul Hafiz Omar, 33.
The victim landed on the roof of a passing car.
Amirul Hafiz, a father of three, died on the spot.
Saktygaanapathy had tested positive for both alcohol and drugs when he was arrested after the accident.
Khartiyayini fixed June 3 for the case to be mentioned.
DPP Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin had requested a period of two to three months to compile the required documents for the case and also to allow the accused’s family to appoint a lawyer for him or a court-appointed counsel.
Amirul Hafiz’s widow, Nurul Nadia Abdul Majid, 32, who was present in court, said she was thankful Saktygaanapathy had been appropriately charged.
“I am a little relieved today. I only want to say one thing, life for life. That’s all,” she told reporters at the Klang court lobby.
Meanwhile, lawyer Mohd Faizi Che Abu, who was holding a watching brief for the deceased’s family, said the family planned to seek RM1mil in compensation for Nurul Nadia and the three children.
“We will carry out the calculation in terms of his salary, contribution and dependants, which will be multiplied by his age,” said Mohd Faizi.
