Malaysia | Death sentence commuted for ex-cop who killed toddler, babysitter

PUTRAJAYA: A former policeman, convicted for the murder of a two-year-old boy and his babysitter nearly 20 years ago, saw the Federal Court commute his death sentence to a 40-year jail term today.

A three-member bench chaired by Justice Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal also ordered Nahar Abu Bakar, 48, to be caned 24 times for the offences, the maximum number of strokes allowed under the law.

Harmindar, who sat with Justices Nordin Hassan and Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, also ordered Nahar to receive 12 strokes of the rotan for the murder of Nurosama Shohimi, the daughter of former Klang Umno division secretary Shohimi Shafie.

He was also ordered to serve another 40-year jail term and 12 strokes of the rotan for the murder of the toddler’s babysitter, Siti Rohana Baharom, 34.

The bench ordered that the jail terms run concurrently.

Nahar’s death sentence was originally affirmed by the Federal Court in 2015.

It came before the apex court again today following the abolition of the mandatory death penalty by Parliament last year. The case was brought under the Revision of the Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdiction of the Federal Court) Act 2023.

Nahar, previously attached to the Kampung Baru police station in Manjung, Perak, committed the murders at Siti Rohana’s low-cost flat in Bandar Baru Klang in Selangor at 1pm on Dec 30, 2003.

The post-mortem found two stab wounds on Siti Rohana which caused massive bleeding that led to her death, while Nurosama, whom Siti Rohana was carrying, was stabbed twice from behind. Both stabbings were carried out with a Rambo-style knife.

Deputy public prosecutor Parvin Hameedah Natchiar pressed for the death sentence to be maintained, or in the alternative for Nahar to be jailed between 35 and 40 years due to the gruesome nature of the murders.

Lawyer Richard Ho, however, urged the court to impose a minimum 30 years’ jail as Nahar was suffering from a communicable disease.

‘Depressed after wife left him’

In another case, the same bench sentenced former security guard P Vellertore to 38 years jail for the murder of his three children about 20 years ago.

Vellertore, 63, was spared the rotan as the punishment can only be meted out to men aged 50 and below.

The Federal Court had in 2012 affirmed his death penalty but the Johor Pardons Board commuted it to a natural life imprisonment in 2015.

He committed the crime on his children – Rudraa Kumar, six, Keseprata, five, and Harini, three – by strangling them at their home in Taman Muhibbah, Kulai, between 10.30am and 3.30pm on Nov 20, 2004.

Parvin submitted that a 40-year jail term ought to be imposed on grounds of public interest, but counsel KA Ramu asked for leniency, saying the crimes were committed as Vellertore was in a state of depression after his wife left him.

Source: freemalaysiatoday.com, Staff, March 18, 2024

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