Farmer acquitted of aunt's murder calls it 'best Deepavali gift'

SEREMBAN - A farmer, who was acquitted and discharged by the High Court today on the charge of murdering his aunt, described the ruling as the greatest Deepavali gift he could receive.

G. Gobinathan, 48, expressed not only relief but also deep gratitude and joy at being free to reunite with his elderly mother.

"Next, I'll be heading back to see my 75-year-old mother in Bandar Sri Jempol. She’s aware of today’s court decision, but couldn’t attend. I want to personally deliver this wonderful news to her,” he shared with reporters, following the verdict.

Earlier, Judge Datuk Rohani Ismail made the ruling, after finding that the prosecution had failed to establish a prima facie case against Gobinathan.

"After thorough deliberation, I found that the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case. Therefore, the accused was acquitted and discharged without having to enter his defence,” he said.

According to the charge sheet, Gobinathan was accused of murdering A. Nirmala, 54, in a house in the village in Ayer Hitam, Jempol, near here, between 7.30pm and 3.30am on March 3 to 4, 2021, and the charge was framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code which provides for the death penalty, if convicted.

The prosecution was handled by deputy public prosecutor Khairunnisa Hazwani Omar while the accused was represented by lawyers Haresh Mahadevan and Ramzani Idris.

A total of 13 witnesses were called to testify during the trial, which began on Nov 20 last year. - BERNAMA