Couple to hang for murder of woman’s 5-year-old son

The High Court in George Town today sentenced a pair of lovers to death after finding them guilty of murdering the woman’s five-year-old son six years ago.

Judicial commisioner Ahmad Shahrir Mohd Salleh handed down the sentence on R Saravanan Kumar, 30 and T Gayathry, 36, after finding that the defence had failed to establish reasonable doubt at the end of the trial.

In his judgment, Shahrir said the court could not accept Saravanan’s alibi that he was not present at the scene as there was no written statement from witnesses.

He also found that 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.

Shahrir added that Gayathry had been 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 duo were charged in the Bukit Mertajam Sessions Court with the murder of S Kaviarasan, five.

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

Kaviarasan’s body was 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.