JOHOR BAHARU: The High Court here yesterday sentenced a security guard to death after finding him guilty of murdering a 16-year-old girl at an oil plam estate in Masai near here last year.
Justice Datuk Abdul Halim Anan meted out the sentence to D Kalaiselvan, 47, after finding the defence failed to raise any reasonable doubts in the prosecution’s case.
Kalaiselvan together with another person still at large was charged with murdering Nur Rahayu Qomarodin at the estate in Sungai Masai, Jalan Masai-Kong Kong, Masai, between 2.30am and 2.5am on June 2011.
Murder is a capital offence.
In his judgement, Abdul Halim said the accused exercising his option to give testimony under oath from the witness stand
failed to justify his defence and that what he told was mere denial.
“The accused denied murdering and burning the victim but this contradicted testimony of the victim’s boyfriend. He also failed to explain why he had to run away from the police and shift the blame on what happened to others namely Ramani and Siva. However, he failed to provide additional information on Siva and could not even tell what his full name was.
“What you did was very cruel, inhuman and uncivilised. How could have done such a thing to an innocent girl who was about the same age as your daughter. The court has not choice but to sentence you to death as its mandatory under Section 302 of the penal code for persons found guilty of murder,” he said.
Deputy public prosecutor Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad prosecuted while Kalaiselvan was represented by counsel Mohd Zahar Ngah.
Counsel Khairul Azwad Sariman held a watching brief for the victim’s family.
The victim’s father Qomarodin Bajuri, 48, who was in court, was seen breakng into tears when the sentence was pronounced.
Met outside the court, the building contractor said he was satisfied that justice had been done. — Bernama