Penang police chief Azizee Ismail said this was determined after the detention of the main suspect, a 35-year-old Nepalese man, in Selangor on Oct 24. The man was believed to have been attempting to flee arrest.

“Police will apply for an extension of the remand order against him in court tomorrow to complete our investigation paper.

“I cannot elaborate further or disclose more details as the investigation is ongoing,” Bernama reported him as saying.

On Oct 18, Sariya Che Hin, 51, was found dead in the ground-floor kitchen of their rented house. Her adopted daughter, Nur Afrina Alisha Abdul Rahim, 11, was found dead upstairs.

Police detained Sariya’s husband after he reported finding their bodies when he returned home at about 7.30pm that day.

However, Azizee clarified today that the husband was not a suspect but was merely remanded to help in the probe.

On Oct 24, police arrested three Nepalese in connection with the case, two of them in Kulim, Kedah, and the other in Selangor. Sariya’s husband was released the next day.

Azizee said the other two men, including the main suspect’s elder brother, would be released on police bail after their remand expires tomorrow.