ALOR GAJAH, Sept 22 — The identity of a decomposed body believed to have been murdered near an oil palm smallholding on Pulau Sebang here on September 16, has been identified through deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing.

Melaka police chief Datuk Zainol Samah said the deceased was a local man named R. Darvnrajh, 24, who was reported missing by his family in Tampin, Negeri Sembilan, since September 10.

“On September 20, the police obtained the results of DNA tests conducted on a husband and wife who claimed to be family members of R. Darvnrajh, and it was found to match the victim’s DNA.

“Therefore, a special operation named ‘Op Kejam’ was established, involving a team of police officers from the Special Investigation Division of the Criminal Investigation Department at the Melaka police contingent headquarters, along with the Criminal Investigation Division of the Alor Gajah district police headquarters, to conduct further investigations,” he said in a statement here today.

Through Op Kejam, six individuals aged 18 to 26, who were associates of the victim, were apprehended in and around Tampin, last week, he added.

He said urine screening tests were conducted on all six suspects, and they tested negative for drug abuse.

Zainol said the initial investigation found the victim was killed because of a longstanding feud, as the suspects had been previously arrested due to a police report about fireworks during last year’s Deepavali celebration by the victim’s family.

The suspects were remanded until September 24 to assist in the investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, which carries a mandatory death penalty, if convicted, he added.

On Monday, the media reported an unidentified decomposed body and believed to have been murdered, was found near an oil palm smallholding in Pulau Sebang here on September 16.

The body, believed to be that of a local man, was discovered around 10am after the public detected a foul odour by the roadside. A forensic examination revealed injuries on the victim’s body, and the victim was believed to have been stabbed in the head with a sharp object. — Bernama