Yusoff said this was deliberately done to create the impression that the information was officially from the police.

He said his photograph had also been used alongside sensational headlines to attract public attention.

“The content included speculation about one of the suspects’ background, as well as manipulation or embellishment of official police statements,” Bernama reported him as saying.

Yusoff said a police report had been lodged and the case is being investigated under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for public mischief, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network facilities.

He said spreading false or misleading information could not only cause public alarm, but may also disrupt ongoing investigations.

The body of Nurfisya, 19, was discovered with 61 stab wounds near a padi field at Kampung Simah in Ketereh early Friday morning.

Police arrested four suspects – two senior citizens and two 19-year-olds – in a murder investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code. The senior citizens were released on police bail, while the teenagers are being remanded for a week.

Nurfisya, a third-semester student from Perak at a Mara Poly-Tech College, was identified through her fingerprints, as no identification documents were found on the body.

Sinar Harian previously reported that Kota Bharu police chief Azmir Damiri addressed fake news related to the investigation, including a claim that the teenager was found with 105 stab wounds, not 61.

He said the autopsy at Raja Perempuan Zainab Hospital II did not include scratches or small wounds in the final count of 61 stab wounds.

Azmir also denied that the father of one of the teenage suspects was a senior police officer, and urged the public not to believe any information not officially issued by the police.