The High Court in Kuala Lumpur has proposed that family members of 10 victims of the Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah  fire and three former students who filed suits against the tahfiz owner and four others, settle the case via mediation.

Counsel Ahmad Zaharil Muhayar, who was representing the owner of the tahfiz centre Mohd Zahid Mahmood and his wife Samsurini Mohd Anuwi, as the defendants, told reporters this after case management in the chambers of High Court judicial commissioner Darryl Goon Siew Chye yesterday.

Ahmad Zaharil said the court had recommended that the parties to seek a solution to resolve the case through mediation and fixed Oct 1 for case management.

Meanwhile, counsel Mohaji Selamat, representing the 13 plaintiffs, said the court had also instructed the tahfiz centre to submit the bank statement involving donations received from Sept 14, 2017, to this date, together with the audit report to his clients within the next three weeks or latest by Aug 21.

Also present at the proceedings was counsel Fakhrul Azman Abu Hassan representing the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) as the defendant while the two teenagers, who were on trial for murder, were not represented.

In the 5.15am incident on Sept 14, 21 students and two teachers died when they were trapped on the third floor of the religious residential school hostel which was on fire.

- Bernama