ARAU: Police have confirmed the body of a grass cutter found charred in front of a house in Jejawi yesterday was that of the homeowner.
The victim was identified as a 75-year-old retired Telekom Malaysia employee.
Arau police chief Superintendent Ahmad Mohsin Md Rodi said the victim is believed to have died after being engulfed in flames when his grass-cutting machine caught fire.
"The distance between the victim and the burnt machine was only about two meters, in front of his house located along the Jejawi trunk road.
"The victim was found dead in his front yard by a passerby who initially thought it was a mannequin, but upon approaching the scene, he realised it was a burned body and immediately contacted the police.
"The victim was found lying on his back, severely burned, with the body already starting to bloat in the grassy area in front of his home," he said in a statement today.
He added the victim was suspected to have been cutting grass alone when his machine caught fire and engulfed him in flames.
"The scene showed no signs of criminal activity or struggle on the victim's body.
"The victim's wife said she had not seen him for two days until his body was found yesterday. It was also found that she was quite unwell and had remained indoors.
"The victim's brother, a 65-year-old retired teacher, revealed the last time he saw his brother was when he delivered food to the couple last Friday afternoon. He also stated he had seen the victim cutting grass alone at his residence previously," he added.
Mohsin said the estimated time of death was around two days ago.
The body was sent to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Star for a post-mortem.
"The case has been classified as sudden death," Mohsin said.