SEREMBAN: A student at an institution of higher learning pleaded not guilty in the sessions court here to two counts of incest with his younger sister in 2021.
The 22-year-old accused made the plea after the charges were read out to him before judge Surita Budin.
The accused is alleged to have committed the offences against his youngest sister, who was 12 years and eight months old at the time, in a house in Sikamat in January and March 2021.
Framed under Section 376B (1) of the Penal Code, the charges provide imprisonment of not less than 10 years and not more than 30 years, and also whipping, if found guilty.
The charges were also read together with Section 16(1) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which carries a maximum prison sentence of five years and not less than two strokes of the rotan.
Deputy public prosecutor Jiwan Kaur Malkith Singh asked that no bail be offered to the accused, as the victim and accused are siblings and live at the same address.
Haresh Mahadevan and Ramzani Idris, the lawyers representing the accused, asked for the lowest possible bail, as the accused is pursuing a diploma and will begin industrial training.
The accused was allowed bail of RM10,000 in one surety, with the additional conditions that he do not disturb the victim, stay in a separate place until the disposal of the case and report to a nearby police station once a month.
The court set March 18 for further mention of the case.
