KAJANG, May 15 — It was heart wrenching for a nursery caretaker to be behind bars in a police station as her two-year-old son was buried at their home town in Perak on Mother’s Day yesterday.

What added to her grief was probably the knowledge that her child suffered excruciating pain before he succumbed to injuries sustained at the hands of a suspected drug addict, who was her live-in partner.

The tragic moments unfurled just after dawn on Saturday, when the 29-year-old mother told police she awoke to notice her son having breathing difficulties.

She rushed him to the nearby Kajang Hospital, but her efforts proved futile when doctors pronounced him dead minutes after admission.

An external examination at the mortuary later that day brought the shocking revelation of reddish and swollen spots on the child’s head.

Fearing the worst, pathologists performed an autopsy on the child, and their worst fears were confirmed when the post-mortem found the extent of the injuries inflicted on the child — a torn pancreas, broken rib, internal bleeding and multiple bruises on the body, with abdominal injuries consistent with blunt force trauma.

Before the autopsy, doctors tipped off police of their suspicions and the mother was taken into custody before she could leave hospital. Follow-up investigations led to the arrest of her boyfriend, a 39-year-old food court stall attendant.

Police obtained a magistrate’s order to have both remanded until Saturday to facilitate investigations.

District police chief Assistant Commissioner Othman Nanyan said murder investigations have commenced.

What they learnt so far was mother and child were residing in a room in the upper floor of a restaurant in Jalan Dato Seri P. Alagendra 2.

The boyfriend stayed with them in the room as it was near his work place.

Othman said the boyfriend tested positive for ganja when arrested, and had a drug conviction.

Despite the pathology findings, acquaintances of the male suspect were perplexed to learn someone they knew was capable of such rage.

An Indonesian house mate, who identified himself as Adi, 24, said he only saw the suspect with a woman together with a child about two months ago but was clueless of their relationship.

He said the suspect moved in about three months ago and stayed alone in the rented unit shared with six others.

Adi described the suspect as normal. He would occasionally interact with the other house mates after he returned from work.

“I don’t understand why he would be involved. It just doesn’t make sense,” he said.

Adi said he learnt about the  case when at work, and was instructed by his superior to provide a statement to police on Saturday night.

He said forensic investigators visited the premise to look for  evidence before they left just after midnight.

Another house mate, Opea Paryono, 34, said the dormitory was provided by the restaurant owner downstairs for the workers’ convenience.

Opea, who had been staying in the dormitory for four years, described the suspect as normal, and he had no knowledge of the suspect’s relationship with the boy’s mother.

He said he was asked to go to the police station shortly after evening prayers at 7pm to have his statement taken with other house mates.