The High Court here today sentenced four individuals, including a single mother, to 10 years in prison each after they pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of culpable homicide not amounting to murder in the 2021 killing of an insurance agent.
Justice Rohani Ismail ordered odd-job workers S Jeeva, 55, M Raja, 39, P Yogan Pillay, 29, and M Bereamalah, 43, to begin their jail term from the date of their arrest.
The judge said she took into consideration the mitigating factors from defence lawyers and the aggravating factors as submitted by the prosecution.
The four committed the offence on P Rajasegaran, 52, at the 10th floor of Menara Zurich here between Nov 12 and Dec 2, 2021.
The skeletal remains of the victim were later discovered in Tanjung Sepat, Selangor, on Dec 2.
All four were initially charged with murder, which carries the death penalty or imprisonment of up to 40 years, along with a minimum of 12 strokes of the rotan for the male accused.
Their murder trial was scheduled to begin today, but deputy public prosecutor Nor Baizura Saubian told the court that the prosecution had accepted a representation filed by the defence.
All four then pleaded guilty to the amended charge that carried a jail term of up to 30 years.
According to the facts of the case, Rajasegaran’s wife, who worked at the same insurance company, lodged a police report on Nov 12, 2021, after she was unable to contact him.
His car was found abandoned in Banting four days later, prompting police to suspect a failed extortion attempt.
Investigators had also recovered gold items belonging to the victim, which were sold by Bereamalah to a jewellery store in Klang.
The three men had also separately led police to an overgrown area in Gadong, Tanjung Sepat, in Kuala Langat, on Dec 2 and 7, 2021, where they said they had left the victim.
The investigation found the victim had suffered injuries inflicted by the accused, which ultimately led to his death.
All four were arrested within three weeks of the crime.
Fahmi Abdullah represented Jeeva, Donald Selvam appeared for Raja, and Baharudeen Arif for Yogan. Bereamalah, a mother of two, was represented by G Subramaniam Nair.
