K Charaniyathevan, 24, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out before magistrate Farah Nabihah Dan.

The charge was framed under Section 506 of the Penal Code, which provides for up to seven years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both, upon conviction.

He is accused of holding a knife to his 21-year-old brother’s neck in an incident at about 4.49am last Saturday at Kampung Baru Air Panas PPR flats at Jalan Genting Kelang, Setapak.

The accused had returned home and began punching a wall while claiming he was speaking to a spirit.

Represented by counsel from the National Legal Aid Foundation, Charaniyathevan told the court he suffered from depression and a psychiatric condition.

The court ordered the accused to undergo psychiatric evaluation and fixed April 9 for mention to update the status of the report.

Deputy public prosecutor Amritpreet Kaur Randhawa appeared for the prosecution.