REMBAU, July 29 — Negeri Sembilan police chief Datuk Ahmad Dzaffir Mohd Yussof has confirmed that a six-year-old boy, whose body was discovered buried in a remote area in Rompin, Jempol, was killed by strangulation with a cable tie, following a post-mortem at the Rembau Hospital.
"The autopsy revealed the boy died due to pressure from a cable tie around his neck," he said when contacted by Bernama today, adding that the case is now being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
The investigation first began under the Johor police's jurisdiction, classified under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 and Section 323/18 of the Domestic Violence Act and Missing Persons procedures.
Dzaffir said the suspect is still in remand in Johor, but will be brought to Jempol for further questioning in the coming days.
“We will also be recording statements from witnesses, particularly the victim’s mother,” he said.
Meanwhile, Jempol police chief Supt Norhisham Mustapar said a hoe, believed to have been used by the suspect to dig the boy’s grave, was recovered from a secluded area near Jalan Bahau-Rompin.
The police had discovered the victim’s body at 4.30pm yesterday, after a tip-off led them to the burial site.
Earlier, Iskandar Puteri police chief ACP M. Kumarasan confirmed that a man had been remanded for seven days starting Friday (July 25) to assist with the murder investigation.
The suspect lodged a police report in Bukit Indah on Thursday (July 24), claiming the boy had gone missing.
He said the man first told police the child had disappeared at around 4pm on Wednesday (July 23) after being left alone in a car while the suspect went out to buy food.
The case was initially classified under Section 182 of the Penal Code for lodging a false report.
— Bernama