Two teenage boys were charged today in the Magistrate’s Court here with the murder of 21 students and two teachers of a religious residential school here two weeks ago.

No plea was recorded from the boys, both aged 16, because murder cases come under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

They were jointly charged with the murder of the 23 people at the Pusat Tahfiz Darul Ittifaqiyah in Jalan Keramat Hujung, Kampung Datuk Keramat, Wangsa Maju, between 4.15 am and 6.45 am on Sept 14.

They were charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, which provides for the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

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The proceedings, which were held in camera from 12.05 pm to 12.25 pm because it involved juveniles, took place at Magistrate’s Court 7 before Magistrate Siti Radziah Kamarudin. Only the families of the accused were allowed into the courtroom.

Kuala Lumpur Director of Prosecution Othman Abdullah and DPPs Mohd Nordin Ismail and Nurakmal Farhan Aziz appeared for the prosecution. The accused were unrepresented.

-- BERNAMA