TAIPING: Four family members were charged in the Magistrate’s Court here with the murder of an eight-year-old girl last week.
The child’s biological mother M. Savathri, 28; her husband M. Satis Kumar, 27, who is also the victim’s stepfather; the victim’s step-grandmother SC Veeraletchumy, 53; and step-grandfather M. Murali, 49, nodded after the charges were read out before magistrate R. Prabakaran yesterday.
However, no plea was recorded from any of the accused, as murder cases fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court, Bernama reported.
They are jointly accused of murdering the child, Thanavitha, at a house in Taman Sungai Mas in the Larut, Matang and Selama district on the morning of March 26.
The charge, framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code and read together with Section 34, carries the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years and, if not sentenced to death, not fewer than 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.
Family members who had cared for the child since she was six months old, before she was returned to her biological mother, were present in court to observe the proceedings.
The court set May 15 for mention pending DNA, forensic and post-mortem reports.
