They included the victim’s biological mother.

M Savathri, 28, M Satis Kumar, 27, SC Veeraletchumy, 53, and M Murali, 49, nodded after the charges were read out separately before magistrate R Prabakaran.

Savathri is the girl’s mother while Satis is her husband and the victim’s stepfather.

Veeraletchumy and Murali are Satis’s parents.

No plea was recorded from them as murder cases fall under the jurisdiction of the High Court.

They are jointly accused of causing the death of the child, Thanavitha, at a house in Taman Sungai Mas in the Larut, Matang and Selama district on March 26.

The charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code carries the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years and at least 12 strokes of the cane upon conviction.

Deputy public prosecutor Farihah Adilah Faizal prosecuted while all the accused were unrepresented.

Lawyers M Dinesh, G Devaneson and Low Tze Ken held a watching brief for other family members of the victim.

The other family members had cared for the child since she was six months old, before she was returned to her biological mother. They were in court to observe proceedings.

The court set May 15 for mention.