IPOH: The police have obtained a seven-day remand order starting today against a married couple to assist in the investigation into the death of their eight-year-old niece, who was believed to have been abused.

The remand order was issued by Magistrate Anis Hanini Abdullah following an application from the police.

The husband and wife, both aged 40, were remanded to facilitate investigations under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

Yesterday, Perak police chief Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said the arrest of the couple was made following a report from a medical officer at the Emergency and Trauma Department, Raja Permaisuri Banun Hospital (HRPB), here, at about 3.14am.

He said the medical officer reported that the department received a child patient who was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and was pronounced dead at about 1.45 am.

An autopsy was conducted by a pathologist at the Forensics Department, HRPB and it was found that the victim died from blunt force trauma, he added.

-- BERNAMA