MUAR: Police have reclassified the case involving three members of a family who died in a fire at Kampung Paya Redan in Pagoh recently as murder.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Raiz Mukhliz Azman Aziz said this follows the post-mortem reports on all three victims which found elements of foul play during the incident.
As such, he said, the case, which was previously classified as sudden death, is now being investigated for murder.
"Police have opened investigation papers on the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code (for murder) as well as Section 436 and Section 326 of the same Act," he said in a statement today.
Section 436 states for mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy a house while Section 326 is for voluntarily causing grievous hurt using a weapon.
He added that the police are tracking down the main suspect who is being identified as 48-year-old Azman Mohamed.
"The public with information on the suspect can contact investigation office Assistant Superintendent Siti Royahu Salih at 016-2199592 or the Muar district police headquarters at 06-9564800 or any other nearest police station," he said.
Raiz Mukhlis, in a statement yesterday, said the main suspect is the son of Mohamed Yassin, 82, and his wife Ara Abd Hamid, 76, who were among the three people who died during the incident.
The other person who died during the fire, which destroyed 85 per cent of the house, was identified as 11-year-old Noradriana Nor Hisyam.
Another grandchild of the elderly couple, Norazima Mohd Radhi, 14, sustained injuries and is being treated at the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital here.
Azman was living with the victims at the house that was engulfed by flames in the pre-dawn blaze.