ALOR SETAR: Police have detained a 19-year-old youth in connection with the case of the body of a baby dumped at a hostel toilet here.

The youth is believed to be the boyfriend of a female university student, who was rearrested on Tuesday in connection with the case.

State Criminal Investigation Department chief SAC Datuk Mohd Nashir Ya said the arrest of the 19-year-old youth from Pendang was made at about 11am in Jitra on Tuesday.

“Currently the duo is in police detention. The first-year female student of a higher learning institution, in her 20s, is now being investigated for murder,” he said in a statement.

SAC Mohd Nashir said the case was initially investigated under Section 318 of Penal Code for concealment of birth by secret disposal of a dead body, but now the undergraduate from Sungai Petani was being investigated for murder (Section 302 of the Penal Code) after the initial post-mortem report disclosed that the baby was born alive.

The undergraduate was released on police bail on Sunday after police detained her on March 30.

The student was arrested after a report was lodged on the discovery of a newborn baby boy found dead in the toilet bowl of the hostel.-thestar