4 charged with murder after businessman’s body found in net

Four men were charged in a Batu Pahat Magistrate’s Court for the murder of businessman Low Kai Xian, 39, whose body was found bound and wrapped in netting in a river. The accused are Yogesvaran Subramaniam, 40, a lorry driver; Lim Yong Ming, 26, and Achuthan Nagarajan, 32, both lorry attendants; and How Han Wei, 33, a used vehicle dealer.

They were present in court under tight security, having arrived at 8:10 am. No confessions were recorded, as the case falls under the High Court’s jurisdiction. The prosecution, led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Shahzleen Ibrahim, charged them under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries a death penalty or a minimum 30-year sentence.

The accused were represented by Datin Fareda Sabapathy and Sean Dodley Samuel Jayarajan. The case will be revisited on October 14 while awaiting autopsy, DNA, CCTV, and mobile phone forensic reports. The motive is still under investigation, but police have not ruled out a debt-related murder. The victim was reported missing on July 29 after he failed to contact family members; his body was discovered on August 3 with adhesive tape binding his hands and feet and injury marks on his waist and arms.