N Avinesh Sarma, 21, S Linggeshwaran, 23, and P Sivaraman, 33, along with two others still at large, were charged with killing Arun Krishnan in a forest near the Ladang Tanjung Rambutan temple on Dec 31.

No plea was recorded.

If convicted under Section 302 of the Penal Code, they will face the mandatory death sentence.

Deputy public prosecutor Fatimah Hannah Abd Wahab prosecuted, while the trio were represented by Shahrul Nizam Mohd Rabi and C Kaladevi.

Magistrate Noor Azreen Liana Mohd Darus fixed March 18 for remention to allow for the post mortem results and chemical report to be handed over to the prosecution.

On Jan 1, it was a reported that the body of a man with 12 police records, including two linked to murder, was found with slash wounds to his hands and torso in a forest near a temple.