KOTA BHARU – Kelantan police are conducting further investigations into the parents of 19-month-old Hud Aryan Mohd Nor Hafifi, who was found lifeless, caught on a tree by the riverbank, three kilometres from his grandmother’s house in Kampung Aira, Kuala Tiga, Tanah Merah, on Wednesday.
Kelantan Police Chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the probe was initiated as the circumstances surrounding the child's disappearance appeared suspicious.
"I have instructed the Tanah Merah District Police Chief to investigate the parents, family members and local residents.
"There may have been an element of negligence. Although the post-mortem did not reveal any signs of foul play and the case has been classified as sudden death, based on public sharing on TikTok, the way this child went missing seems illogical.
"In just five minutes, he vanished. The distance between his grandmother's house and the stream is only 50 metres," he said during a press conference at the Kelantan Contingent Police Headquarters (IPK) on Thursday.
On Wednesday, the search and rescue (SAR) personnel and villagers had to wade through 0.6 metres of water before discovering Hud Aryan’s body.
The only child of Azean Nur Atikah, 34 and Mohd Hafifi Saidi, 34, was found entangled in a tree along the riverbank, three kilometres from his grandmother’s house, at 4.15pm.
Hud Aryan was reported missing at dusk on Monday while at his grandmother’s home.