KUALA LUMPUR: Police have obtained a seven-day remand extension against seven boys who allegedly conspired to torch the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz school in Kampung Datuk Keramat here on Sept 14.
The extension request was made by investigators who require more time to question the suspects and complete the arson-cum-murder investigation of the blaze which claimed the lives of 21 students and two teachers of the school.
Wangsa Maju police chief Superintendent Mohamad Roy Suhaimi Sarif confirmed that the extension begins on Sept 23.
"The seven suspects’ remand order expired today, so police requested an extension of another week, until Sept 29, to facilitate investigations," he said when contacted.
Last Tuesday, police brought the suspects – including an 11-year-old – to the site of the burnt-out school to shed more light on the case.
It was reported that an unpleasant name-calling incident between a few of the tahfiz students and the suspects sparked the violent and fiery act of revenge. Six of the seven suspects tested positive for marijuana at the time of their arrest, and it is believed that the group had been high when they carried out the arson.
The suspects, aged between 11 and 18, several of whom are school dropouts, were picked up at several locations in the Datuk Keramat area between 6.30pm Friday (Sept 15) and 2.30am Saturday (Sept 16). They were traced after one of the suspects was seen on CCTV footage entering the tahfiz on the night of the fire.