MELAKA: Police have detained a 17-year-old teenager in connection with the death of a 14-year-old teenage girl whose body was found in bushes near a landfill in Kampung Solok Gaung, Ayer Molek, here, on Wednesday.
State Deputy CID chief Supt P R Gunarajan said the teenager was detained at a house in Ayer Molek at about 3.30pm to assist investigations into the case that has been classified as murder.
“The teenager is the girl’s friend and we have detained him for questioning,” he said.
The victim, Aimi Hamizah Mohamad, from Taman Desa Molek, was reported missing since Monday night after failing to return home from attending a Quran-reciting class.
Gunarajan said police believe there could have been criminal elements involved in her death.
“We will investigate the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code. We believe the girl was murdered although there were no physical marks,” he told Bernama when contacted, here, yesterday.
He added that the actual cause of death would only be known after a post-mortem was carried out in the Melaka Hospital.
Aimi Hamizah’s body was found by a group of youths who were playing football nearby at 7pm, about 4 kilometres away from her home.
Meanwhile, her father Mohamad Sahak, 58, said his youngest daughter had left the house on Monday after breaking fast with some of her favourite dishes, including bakso, to attend the Quran-reciting class near their house and normally returned home at 9pm.
Mohamad Sahak who works in a factory in Merlimau, Jasin said since Aimi Hamizah did not return home at 10pm, he went out in search of her at the house of her teacher but was told she had returned home because classes were cancelled on the day.
Mohamad Sahak said he and his son Abu Sufian, 17, together with a few neighbours, later conducted a search but failed to find her.
He later lodged a missing person report at the Tiang Dua police station.
“We were shocked when police came to the house to inform us that Aimi Hamizah’s body was found. My wife and children went for the identification. She was a loving girl who was much liked by the neighbours,” he said. — Bernama