JOHOR BAHRU, July 29 — A 40-year-old customer service officer was charged in the Magistrate's Court today with the murder of his 18-month-old son and with possessing pornographic material.

The accused, G. Thevendhiran, acknowledged the charges read before Magistrate Nurzihan Abdul Rehman. However, no plea was recorded as the murder case falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

The prosecution alleges that Thevendhiran killed his infant son between 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on September 12, 2023, at a condominium in Jalan Permas Selatan, Bandar Baru Permas.

He was charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the death penalty or a maximum of 40 years' imprisonment and 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.

The case took a dramatic turn yesterday when police upgraded the investigation into the infant's death to a murder case. This followed the arrest of Thevendhiran on July 18, who was subsequently identified as the primary suspect.

In a separate proceeding, Magistrate A. Sharmini sentenced Thevendhiran to a fine of RM3,000 and one month's imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to possessing pornographic images and videos on his mobile phone. This offence was allegedly committed in the parking area of the same condominium on July 18.

The court granted no bail for the murder charge and has set October 1 for the submission of DNA, pathology, and forensic reports.

The tragedy dates back to September 2023, when the baby was pronounced dead at Sultan Ismail Hospital (HSI). Medical examinations at the time revealed harrowing signs of abuse, including bruises on the infant’s waist, a bulging stomach, and swelling in the anal area.

The murder case was prosecuted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nor Deana Aqila Aliman, while the pornography case was handled by Deputy Public Prosecutor Anis Shafeeqah Mohd Shariffudin.

Thevendhiran was represented by counsel Noor Asyikin Shafiqah Athan Malik from the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK) for the pornography charge, but remained unrepresented for the murder charge.