Raudh Ahmed Zilal, the young man arrested in connection with the incident where 21-year-old Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed fell from a nine-storey residential building in Malé City, has been remanded in custody for a second time.

Zilal, who was reportedly with Yumnu just before the fall, was taken into custody five days after the incident, following intense public pressure and growing demands for accountability.

He was initially remanded for five days. On Wednesday, the Criminal Court extended his detention by another ten days, citing ongoing investigations.

Police have also seized mobile phones from seven individuals, including Yumnu’s, all of whom were identified as participants of a drug party that took place before the fall. Authorities have imposed travel bans on all of them due to their connection to the case.

As national attention on the case intensifies, the President has established a special commission to oversee the investigation.