The suspect in the murder of a man whose body was stuffed in a barrel with cement poured in next to their home at Kampung Padang Hassan has been remanded for seven days to facilitate investigation.
Alor Star Magistrate’s Court registrar Rashidah Azmi approved the remand which starts today until March 15 against the 25-year-old suspect, who is currently in Kota Setar police headquarters’ lockup.
Kota Setar police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohd Rozi Jidin said so far, the victim’s cause of death is a cut throat.
“The case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder,” he said.
Meanwhile, a source said the victim, who was the stepbrother of the suspect, was killed because he always borrowed his younger brother’s shirts. Apparently, the last straw was when the victim wore a shirt that was given to the suspect by his girlfriend.
Initial investigation showed that the victim died following a fight with the younger brother who had told him off for always wearing his clothes.
Reportedly, the victim got a meat cleaver and attacked his sibling. But the younger brother managed to seize the cleaver and struck the victim in the neck, causing his death.
It is learnt that after the murder, the suspect removed the shirt from the victim, washed it and hung it inside the house because he loves the shirt so much.
“However, the shirt is among the seized items to facilitate investigation,” Rozi said.
It was reported yesterday that police arrested a 25-year-old for the murder of his 34-year-old stepbrother whose body was entombed in a blue plastic barrel which was then filled with cement.
However, the suspect was filled with guilt and confessed his misdeed to another older brother.
It is learned that the victim was jobless.
Kedah CID chief Asst Comm Sapii Ahmad said the case was being investigated for murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.
“The weapon and construction equipment to mix the concrete were recovered and seized from the house,” he said.
Meanwhile, the duo’s younger sibling said he was shocked over what had transpired.
“I am shocked, I did not expect ‘Abang’ to become a murderer. He was a good person and had a religious education background.
“Maybe he wanted to defend himself and had inadvertently slashed (the victim) to death before cementing his body in a barrel,” said Mohd Nazir Azami, 24.
He said during the incident, their mother and another sibling had gone to Melaka.
Nazir revealed that the deceased brother had previously undergone drug rehabilitation.
He added that the deceased and the other siblings share the same mother, but different fathers.
“They always argued, but usually, the victim would be the one who starts it,” he added.