GURUN, Oct 15 — Fourteen individuals, including two teenagers, were charged at the Magistrate’s Court here today with the murder of a 19-year-old youth last week.

The accused are Muhammad Asyraaf Muhammad Zaidi, 20; Muhammad Azrul Rahimi Muhamad Yusri, 18; Ahmad Izzul Irfan Ridduan, 21; Muhammad Rhahimy Abdul Rashid, 19; Yusman Hakimi Yusmezal, 24; Muhammad Zulfaqar Zulkarnain Khairol Fais, 21; and Muhammad Aiman Riduwan Abdullah, 21.

The other accused are Ahmad Aiman Danial Ahmad Wizam, 21; Muhammad Adam Haris Rosdan, 21; Muhammad Muqkriz Azizan, 21; Muhammad Adam Iqbal Mohd Wazir, 19; Syafiq Afif Syarafuddin Abd Ghapar, 23; and two teenagers aged 16 and 17.

They were jointly charged with murdering Muhammad Haikal Mohd Shahrilnizam, 19, at an unnumbered house in Jalan Sungai Petani here, between 9pm on Oct 5 and 7.30am on Oct 8.

However, no pleas were recorded after the charges were read out before Magistrate Anis Suraya Ahmad, as murder cases fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

They were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the same Act, which provides for the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years, and at least 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Nik Nurhazirah Tuan Yahya led the prosecution. Only three of the accused, Muhammad Azrul Rahimi, Ahmad Izzul Irfan and Muhammad Zulfaqar Zulkarnain, were represented by lawyer Mohamad Ashraf Ahmad Sohaimi. The remaining accused were unrepresented.

The court fixed Dec 23 for the next mention of the case, pending the chemical and forensic reports.

Media reports previously stated that Muhammad Haikal was allegedly held captive and tortured for two days before his body was dumped in the bushes near Jalan Harvard Golf Club on Oct 8. — Bernama