SIX men, including a politician were charged today in the magistrate’s court in Petaling Jaya over the abduction and murder of businessman R. Arumugam.

Five of them – Azhari Shahrom Shaihmi, 56; Mohd Durai Abdullah, 52; Sheikh Ismail Sheikh Hassan, 26; N. Vickneswarar, 28; and Kasi Nasrul, 42, a Bangladeshi – were jointly charged with abducting Arumugam, 55, who was a real estate developer, with intent of holding the victim for a ransom of S$50 million (RM153 million).

They were alleged to have committed the offence in Taman Kejiranan Central Spine, Jalan Margosa, Bandar Sri Damansara, at 10.30am, June 10, and charged under Section 3 of the Kidnapping Act 1961, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides for the death sentence or life imprisonment and whipping, for the convicted party.

The sixth accused, K. Ramachandran, who was the PKR candidate for the Batang Kali state seat in the 2013 general election, Datuk  was charged with abetting the five, at the same time and place.

He was charged under Section 109 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 3 of the Kidnapping Act 1961, which provides for the death sentence or life imprisonment and whipping, for the convicted party.
 
The six accused nodded their heads after the charges were read to them by an interpreter before Magistrate Mohamad Ikhwan Mohd Nasir.

No plea was recorded as the case falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Amir Abd Hamid did not offer bail as the offences were non-bailable.

Only Ramachandran had legal representation by way of R. Sivaraj while lawyer Geethan Ram Vincent held a watching brief for the victim’s family.

The court fixed August 27 for case mention and submission of the DNA reports.

The deceased is believed to have been abducted while he was out for a run in Bandar Sri Damansara on June 10. His body was found in Batu 27, Jalan Rawang Bestari Jaya, on June 27. – Bernama, July 9, 2020.