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AN unemployed man who had been on the run for four years appeared before the Magistrate’s Court today, facing allegations of murdering a businessman in Mont Kiara in 2022.
VV Vadivelu, 39, is accused, along with three other individuals previously charged, of fatally shooting 63-year-old Goh Chok Chuan near the guardhouse of the Amarin Kiara residential complex at approximately 11.40 p.m. on 11 July 2022.
The charge, framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34, carries either the death penalty or life imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years.
In cases where the death sentence is not imposed, a minimum of 12 strokes of the cane may also be ordered upon conviction.
No plea was recorded from Vadivelu, as murder cases fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court. Prosecutor M. Alli Nangai did not offer bail, describing the offence as non-bailable. She requested the court to fix a mention date to obtain consent for transferring the case to the High Court.
“The three other accused who were charged earlier have already been sentenced, after they pleaded guilty under Section 304(b) of the Penal Code,” she added.
The court scheduled the next mention for 8 June.
Details of the case first emerged in media reports on 12 July 2022, when police stated that witnesses had heard three gunshots before discovering the victim’s body. Goh Chok Chuan had been playing mahjong at a friend’s residence and was reportedly shot near his car, parked close to the residential complex’s guardhouse.
The case underscores ongoing concerns over violent crime in Kuala Lumpur’s upscale residential areas and highlights the challenges of bringing suspects to justice after prolonged periods on the run. - March 27, 2026