Man charged with murder in drink-driving case, widow wants 'life for a life'

A 28-year-old man was charged with murder today for the death of delivery rider Amirul Hafiz Omar.

R Saktygaanapathy, however, did not enter a plea when charged at the Magistrate's Court. This is because murder cases are under the High Court's jurisdiction.

The murder charge is punishable with either the death penalty or between 30 and 40 years in prison. If the death sentence is not imposed, the offender must be whipped at least 12 times.

Saktygaanapathy, who was not represented, was also slapped with a drug charge, in which he pleaded guilty to self-administering benzodiazepine and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), New Straits Times reported.

The drug charge was framed under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which is punishable with up to two years in jail or a RM5,000 fine.

Saktygaanapathy was not granted bail and remains in custody. The court has set June 3 for case mention.

On Sunday, Amirul was killed in a tragic crash in Klang while on an errand to buy a mathematics book for his eldest child, which caused public outrage as the clip of the incident went viral.

Considering RM1m lawsuit

His widow and mother of their three children, Nor Nadia Abdul Majid, wants the accused to pay with his life.

“Where is my husband’s killer? I want a life to be repaid with a life,” Nadia (above, right) was reported as saying by Free Malaysia Today as she headed into the courtroom before the charges were read out.

Separately, Nadia's lawyer Faizi Che Abu said she intends to file a civil suit against Saktygaanapathy.

After the technician was charged, Faizi said the sum they will be seeking in the lawsuit could reach up to RM1 million, calculated on factors such as Amirul's last drawn salary, age, and dependents.

"I will discuss this with my client, but the amount must be determined based on legal principles and precedents set by previous cases," he was quoted as saying by NST.

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