Man in Sungai Petani wife-beating case investigated over buried foetus
Police took the 43-year-old suspect and his wife to the location along with a forensic team to conduct an exhumation last Thursday.
AT A GLANCE
- New investigation: Police are probing the burial of a foetus following the alleged assault of a pregnant civil servant by her husband.
- Forensic search: An exhumation at Masjid Al-Gufran Islamic Cemetery found dried tissue; samples are undergoing chemistry department analysis.
- Suspect detained: The 43-year-old man was arrested in Alor Setar and is being investigated for assault and potential concealment of birth.
ALOR SETAR – A man suspected of severely beating his wife in Ambangan Heights, Sungai Petani, is now being investigated over the burial of a foetus at the Masjid Al-Gufran Islamic Cemetery on April 2.
Forensic exhumation at cemetery
Kedah Police Department chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah said the foetus was believed to be from the suspect’s wife, who was 12 weeks pregnant and had miscarried after he allegedly assaulted her.
He said police took the 43-year-old suspect and his wife to the location along with a forensic team to conduct an exhumation last Thursday.
"Police brought the suspect and his wife, the 39-year-old victim, to point out where the foetus was buried. We brought a forensic team and excavated the site, but we only found dried tissue that did not resemble a foetus," he said.
Investigation into concealment of birth
"Samples have been sent to the Chemistry Department to confirm if they are a foetus or human cells. If confirmed, we will open an investigation paper under Section 318 for concealing a birth," he said during a press conference at the Kedah Police Contingent Headquarters on Tuesday.
Adzli also urged anyone who may have been a victim of the suspect to come forward to assist with investigations.
Victim suffered severe injuries
Previously, the media reported that a pregnant woman suffered double the agony after claiming she was not only mercilessly beaten by her husband but also lost her 12-week-old pregnancy as a result.
The victim, a civil servant, was treated at Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital for injuries including a broken left arm and finger, facial bruising and abdominal injuries.
Suspect remanded for seven days
The woman was allegedly beaten with various objects, including clothes hangers, a garden hose, a metal curtain rod and a broomstick during an argument that occurred at approximately 1pm.
On April 28, police arrested the suspect at a homestay in Alor Setar. He was remanded for seven days to assist with the investigation.
Download Sinar Daily application.Click Here!
