A former student at the university, Mohd Syafiq Abdullah, 22, told the High Court here today that he saw Zulfarhan grimacing in pain and was sweating as he was punched by his colleagues before one of them, Noriznan Izzairi Noor Azhar, who is the 17th accused, wiped the victim’s sweat.
He said this during re-examination by the prosecution, conducted by Kuala Lumpur prosecuting director Othman Abdullah, on the 19th day of the trial of six UPNM students charged with the murder and abetment in the murder of Zulfarhan.
Syafiq, who was Zulfarhan’s roommate at the university, is the 25th witness for the prosecution. He is currently undergoing military training in Kedah.
He said after Noriznan wiped the sweat off Zulfarhan Osman, the others assaulted the victim again.
Asked by Othman whether the action was like in a boxing match, Noriznan Izzairi said it was.
Earlier, cross-examined by Noriznan’s lawyer, Ariff Hazami Hussin, Syafiq said when Zulfarhan was assaulted in a hostel room on the night of May 21, 2017, a few students had intervened in an attempt to stop the assault.
“There were also a few who came to see and did nothing,” he said, but could not ascertain the number of students who tried to stop the assault on Zulfarhan.
Six UPNM students, Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi, Muhammad Azamuddin, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin, Mohamad Shobirin Sabri and Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali have pleaded not guilty to the murder and abetment in the murder of Zulfarhan at room 04-10, Jebat hostel block of UPNM, between 4.45am and 5.45am, on May 22, 2017.
The charges against them were made under Section 302 and 109 of the Penal Code which provides for the mandatory death sentence upon conviction. All the students are 22 years old.
They are also charged, together with 13 other students, with voluntarily causing hurt to the victim to make him confess to the theft of a laptop, under Section 330 of the Penal Code read together with Section 34 of the same code which provides for a maximum jail term of seven years and fine, if convicted.
The hearing before judge Azman Abdullah continues on Jan 23 next year.