Alor setar: The Sessions Court here today ordered a real estate agent accused of stabbing a woman in the neck in Kepala Batas near here on May 17 to undergo 30 days of psychiatric evaluation at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Judge N Priscilla Hemamalini made the order after lawyer Mohd Hakim Hamran informed the court that his client, Muhammad Ilhami Badaruddin, 32, was currently receiving psychiatric treatment at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital here. Mohd Hakim stated that the accused had scheduled follow-up treatment and was on medication for mental health issues, including Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and was reportedly hearing voices.

The lawyer emphasized that for the trial to be fair, the accused must be mentally fit to mount a defense. He applied for an order under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code to facilitate further psychiatric evaluation.

Earlier in the court proceedings, Muhammad Ilhami pleaded not guilty to the charge of attempted murder. He allegedly stabbed Nurul Husna Kasmani, 35, in the neck with a knife at the parking area of Sheikh Bistro in Titi Gajah, Kepala Batas, near here at 9.19 pm on May 17. The charge falls under Section 307(1) of the Penal Code, which carries a potential jail term of up to 10 years and a fine, or up to 20 years' imprisonment if injury was caused by the offence.

The court has fixed the case for mention on July 2.