‘Islamic medicine practitioner’ pleads not guilty to rape

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PLEADS NOT GUILTY: Muhammad Sombhah is escorted out by police personnel from the Sessions Court after pleading not guilty. — Bernama photo

SEREMBAN: A man who claimed to be an Islamic medicine practitioner pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here yesterday to raping a woman last month.

Muhammad Sombhah Abdullah, 48, was charged with raping a 50-year-old woman at a house in a village in Labu, Nilai between 3.00 and 3.30 pm on Aug 28.

He faces imprisonment of between five and 30 years and possible caning upon conviction under Section 376 of the Penal Code.

Judge Datin M Kunasundary set bail at RM10,000 with one surety, ordered him to report to the Nilai police headquarters on the first of every month and banned him from communicating with the victim and her family.

Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin also applied to the court to prohibit the media from divulging the victim’s name, identity of her family and address through any medium in order to protect her image.

Kunasundary allowed the application and fixed Oct 30 for remention.

Muhammad Sombhah was represented by lawyers Hanif Hassan and Haris Salleh. — Bernama