Johor police apply to extend remand of suspect in kidnapping of 6-year-old girl

JOHOR BAHRU: Police will apply to extend the remand of a 31-year-old male suspect in the kidnapping of a six-year-old girl at a Johor shopping centre, when his remand ends on Monday (Jul 29).

Johor police chief M Kumar said the extension of remand would be for seven days from Tuesday until August 5. The suspect had been found with the victim at a budget hotel in Batang Kali, Selangor.

The request for extension is to “enable further investigation to be carried out” on the man, who was arrested in relation to the child abduction incident in Eco Galleria mall in Johor’s Iskandar Puteri on July 20, he said in a statement on Monday.

“The public is advised not to make speculations that could interfere with the investigation,” he added.

Iskandar Puteri district police chief M Kumarasan was previously reported asking for the public’s help in locating the child, who was discovered missing by her father at 8.30 pm on Jul 20 at the shopping centre.

Following her disappearance, the police arrested five people – three men and two women aged 28 to 55. Four of them were released on police bail last Friday.

They were apprehended for kidnapping under section 365 of the Penal Code as well as section 14 (A) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which pertains to touching a child for sexual purposes.

The child was found in a budget hotel in Batang Kali at 4.45 am on Jul 23, and has been reunited with her family. 

On July 25, it was reported that her family had no relationship with the five suspects.