KUALA LUMPUR – Three individuals arrested in connection with the murder of 20-year-old university student Maniishapriet Kaur Akhara in Cyberjaya have been remanded for seven days to assist with investigations.
The remand order, which runs until July 3, was issued by Sessions Court Judge Azaraorani Abdul Rahman this morning.
The suspects—one man and two women—were brought to the Sepang Court in handcuffs at around 8.30am under police escort and were seen leaving the premises at around 9.45am, Sinar Harian reported.
The trio, all aged between 19 and 20, are believed to have been known to the victim, police said.
They were apprehended in separate locations across Johor Bahru and Gemencheh, Negeri Sembilan, between Thursday morning and early Friday.
The arrests were carried out by teams from Bukit Aman, the Selangor police contingent, and the Sepang district police within 48 hours of the initial report being filed.
Sepang district police chief Assistant Commissioner Norhizam Bahaman said the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
The victim, a physiotherapy undergraduate originally from Kuching, Sarawak, was found dead in her university-managed condominium unit at Mutiara Ville, Cyberjaya, at 10.28am on Tuesday.
Preliminary investigations found no signs of forced entry. A post-mortem later confirmed that she died from blunt force trauma to the head, with no indication of sexual assault. Several belongings, including her ATM card, laptop, mobile phone, and cash, were reported missing from the scene.
At the time of the incident, Maniisha was alone in the unit as her five housemates had returned home for the semester break on June 21.
Her death has sparked concern over student safety in higher education accommodations. Her uncle, Datuk Rajpal Singh, speaking at her cremation at Shamshan Bhoomi Hall (Loke Yew Crematorium), expressed deep frustration over the lack of security at the premises.
“We are deeply saddened by what happened, and we’re baffled that this occurred in university-managed accommodation. A life is now lost,” he said.
He criticised the apparent absence of basic safety measures like CCTV and urged the university to step up its responsibility in protecting students.
“We believe the university management must improve security to safeguard students’ wellbeing,” he said.
Rajpal added that the family is placing its trust in the authorities to deliver justice.
“As for what happened to Maniisha, we will let the police investigate. I believe the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) will act according to the law and deliver justice for Maniisha.
“We urge the police to resolve this swiftly and not take shortcuts. We want them to do what’s necessary to ensure justice is served.” – June 27, 2025