More suspects named in East Java’s deadly torture case

The Jakarta Post, September 29 2015,


East Java police have named 22 suspects for their alleged involvement in a deadly assault that claimed the life of a local farmer who had co-arranged a protest against sand mining in his village.

“Based on the scene investigation and information from a number of witnesses, we named 22 suspects,” said East Java Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Reden Prabowo Argo Yuwono on Tuesday as reported by kompas.com.

On Saturday, a 52-year-old villager named Salim, or Kancil, was allegedly beaten to death by a group of people in Selok Awar-Awar subdistrict, Pasirian district, Lumajang. The same group also allegedly assaulted Tosan, 51, another villager, leaving him in critical condition.

The assault is allegedly in connection with a rally to protest against sand-quarrying activities on Watu Pecak Beach, also in Selok Awar-Awar subdistrict. The protesters, who included the two victims, said that the mining damaged the environment.

Prabowo, however, declined to confirm that the suspects were connected to a company involved in the sand mining, but he said there was a man, who acted as a “commander” of the assault. He also promised to open any possibility in connection with the incident.

“There is one among them who cried: ‘Let’s go there [to Salim’s house]. Then Salim was assaulted,” Prabowo added.

The suspects are accused of violating Article 338 of the Criminal Code on murder with a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, he added.

Meanwhile, Lumajang Police head Adj. Sr. Comr. Fadly Munzir said that the assault occurred when a group of people visited Salim’s house. They took Salim to Selok Awar-Awar’s village meeting hall where they allegedly tortured him brutally.



*