Lovers sent to the gallows over boy's murder

Judiciary Commissioner Datuk Ahmad Shahrir Mohd Salleh meted out the sentence to R. Saravanan Kumar, 30, and T. Gayathry, 36, after finding the defence had failed to establish reasonable doubt at the end of the trial.

In his judgement, Ahmad Shahrir said the court could not accept the alibi of the first accused, Saravanan Kumar, that he was not present at the scene as there was no written statement from witnesses.

He also found that the second accused, Gayathry, had failed to act like a mother when faced with her son’s murder.

“You were left alone at home for four hours after the first accused took the victim’s body out of the house and you did not ask for any help during that period,” he said.

Ahmad Shahrir added that Gayathry was willing to wash the blood-stained toilet after witnessing her own son being murdered.

“What the second accused did was beyond reasonable,” he said.

On Oct 13, 2014, the lovers were charged in the Bukit Mertajam Sessions Court with the murder of S. Kaviarasan, 5.

They were charged with committing the offence at Taman Keladi in Kulim, Kedah between 8 am Sept 20 and 4 pm, Sept 27, 2014.

Kaviarasan’s body was later found dumped in the bushes of an oil palm estate near Permatang Tinggi, Bukit Tengah, Butterworth on Sept 29, 2014.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Yasinnisa Begam Seeni Mohideen while lawyer V. Parthipan represented Saravanan Kumar and lawyer Gabriel Susayan represented Gayathry.