Four murder suspects escorted by police in tactical gear at Batu Pahat courthouse today Aug 17, 2026. — Picture by Ben Tan
By Ben Tan
First Published: Monday, 17 Aug 2026 11:36 AM MYT
BATU PAHAT, Aug 17 — Four men were charged at the Magistrate’s Court here with murdering a businessman, whose body was bound and covered in a net before being found in a river earlier this month.
The accused — S. Yogesvaran, 40; Lim Yong Ming, 26; N. Achutan, 32; and How Han Wei, 33 — nodded to indicate they understood the charge after it was read before Magistrate Mustaqim Sukarno in Bahasa Melayu.
However, no plea was recorded as cases under Section 302 of the Penal Code fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
According to the charge, the men were accused of murdering Low Kai Xian, 39, between 2.35pm on July 29 in front of the Sinhai Sdn Bhd restaurant in Jalan Emas Putih 2, Taman Sri Skudai, Johor Bahru, and 12.30pm on August 3 in Sungai Tanjung Sembrong here.
The charge was framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which provides for the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years and, if the death penalty is not imposed, whipping of not less than 12 strokes upon conviction.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Shahzleen Ibrahim appeared for the prosecution, while Yogesvaran, Yong Ming and Han Wei were represented by counsel S.J. Sean Dudley. Achutan was represented by his counsel Datin Freda Sabapathy.
Present for a watching brief during the proceedings were lawyers, Chuan Shyie Chien and Kenji Soh Xin Da, who were representing the victim’s family.
The court set October 14 for mention and the submission of the autopsy and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) reports. This is in addition to submitting the closed-circuit television (CCTV) and mobile phone forensics.
Previously, it was reported that police arrested five suspects following the discovery of a 39-year-old businessman’s body floating in Sungai Tanjung Sembrong, Parit Raja, earlier this month.
The body, believed to be dumped in the river, was found bound and covered in a net, by the nearby residents.
Investigators also found five rocks placed with the victim’s body to weigh down the remains and prevent the body from surfacing.
The victim was later identified as a Johor Bahru-based businessman from Iskandar Puteri and had been reported missing since July 29.
He was identified by his next of kin based on his clothing and personal belongings.
Police said the motive for the murder may have been linked to debt.