The woman's body was discovered by workers in a sugar cane plantation on March 29, 2023, with the body of a baby beside her. - ST/UNSPLASH
JAKARTA (The Straits Times/Asia News Network): Indonesian police have arrested a man for allegedly abandoning his pregnant, dying wife in a sugar cane plantation last month following an argument.
The wife had requested that her husband take her to meet an unnamed person in Kediri, east Java, on March 26.
The pair, who are both 29, were on their way on the husband’s motorcycle when they got into an argument, said Rizkika Atmadha Putra, head of Kediri police’s criminal investigation unit, on April 7.
Annoyed, the husband accelerated his motorbike, causing the wife, who was not wearing a helmet, to fall off.
The husband stopped and placed his wife, who was unconscious by then, back on the motorcycle.
“To keep her upright, he tied his jacket between them before continuing the journey,” Antara news agency quoted Putra as saying, adding that the man also placed his helmet on her head.
However, she fell off the vehicle again. For the second time, he picked her up and placed her on the motorbike before continuing their journey.
At some point, the husband decided to abandon the wife in a sugar cane plantation, reported national newspaper Kompas.
Her body was discovered by workers three days later on March 29, with the body of a baby beside her.
Some media reports said the wife had given birth on the plantation before her death, although the police have yet to confirm the identity of the baby, citing the need to wait for a DNA report.
Both bodies were taken to a nearby hospital for autopsy to ascertain the cause of death. The police said the woman had numerous injuries on her body, including her head.
Based on their investigation and interviews with witnesses, the police arrested the husband, who confessed to his crime.
He is currently being detained at the Kediri police headquarters while awaiting charges.
