KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — A forensic expert told the High Court here today that the cause of death of Universiti Pertahanan Malaysia (UPNM) cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain was a combination of hypervolemia, heart and kidney complications.

Dr Salmah Arshad, 37, from Serdang Hospital, said the post mortem on the deceased found swelling of the heart and kidney failure.

"The combination could cause death,” she said under cross-examination by counsel Datuk Seri M. Ramachelvam on the third day of the trial of six students accused of killing Zulfarhan Osman.

The witness testified that there were 90 first-degree to third degree burns all over the deceased’s body including his buttocks and sexual organ.

She said the deceased did not have any health risk such as diabetes or asthma.

Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, Muhammad Azamuddin Mad Sofi, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat, Mohamad Shobirin Sabri and Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali, all aged 22, are accused of murdering Zulfarhan Osman and abetment in the act.

They allegedly committed the offences in room 04-10, accommodation block, Jebat hostel, UPNM, between 4.45am and 5.45am on May 22, 2017.

The charges under Section 302 and Section 109 of the Penal Code provide for the mandatory death sentence on conviction.

The six are also accused with 13 others of voluntarily causing hurt to Zulfarhan Osman to extort a confession from him for a laptop theft.

If found guilty, they face up to seven years imprisonment and a fine, under Section 330 read with Section 34 of the Penal Code.

The trial continues tomorrow before justice Datuk Azman Abdullah on Wednesday. — Bernama