A food shop assistant pleaded not guilty in the Sessions Court here today to a charge of raping a Form Three student in a room earlier this year.The accused, Wan Izzuddin Wan Hasim, 21, claimed trial after the charge was read out before Judge Ahmad Bazli Bahruddin.According to the charge, he is accused of raping a 14-year-and-four-month-old girl in a room in Padang Sri Paduka here at about 3am on Jan 24.He was charged under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code, which provides for a jail term of up to 20 years and whipping, upon conviction.Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Faiz Fitri Mohamad appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was represented by lawyer Ahmad Nurie Abd Rahman.Faiz urged the court not to grant bail, but Nurie appealed for bail to be allowed, citing the accused's financial constraints.He told the court that the accused earned RM1,000 per month as a food shop assistant and that his parents had to borrow money from relatives to raise bail."Therefore, I respectfully seek the court's consideration and discretion to grant bail," he said.

The court then allowed bail of RM8,000 with one surety, and imposed conditions prohibiting the accused from contacting any witnesses. He was also ordered to report to the nearest police station once a month.The court fixed June 30 for mention.