A pair of young lovers were arrested by the police today for concealing the birth of a baby and then disposing its body into Sungai Perak near the Perak Water Board pump house in Teluk Kepayang, Bota early Saturday.

Perak Tengah district police chief Supt Barudin Wariso said the 22-year-old woman was detained after police received information of a foul smell emanating from her home in Seri Iskandar at about 12.15pm.

“The woman confessed to delivering a baby in her seventh month of pregnancy in her bedroom on Tuesday at about 3am, without the knowledge of her family, who also lived in the same house. The baby died shortly after the birth took place,” he said in a statement here today.

The woman then wrapped the dead infant in a piece of cloth and hid it in a wardrobe cupboard for three days before handing it over to her boyfriend, who in turn disposed of it in the river.

Barudin said investigations found that the unemployed woman was in a relationship with the 22-year-old man, who worked as a supervisor at a factory in Alor Gajah, Melaka.

“Police then arrested the boyfriend at his home, also in Seri Iskandar. He confessed to disposing the body in the river by weighing it down with four brick pieces,” he said.

He said together with the help of the Fire and Rescue Department, a search was conducted for the body, which until late evening has yet to be found.

The case is being investigated under Section 318 of the Penal Code for concealment of birth by secret disposal of a dead body.

- Bernama