Prodita Sabarini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Police are investigating the death of a teenage three-in-one jockey, who allegedly died after being beaten by public order officers during a raid last week on Jl. Pakubuwono, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.
Kebayoran Baru Police chief Comr. Agus Risendi said Thursday that detectives had questioned 11 witnesses, including the nine public order officers who carried out the routine raid in and around the area.
The public order officers apprehended four jockeys in the raid. That day, a total of 14 jockeys were detained at the city-run social rehabilitation center in Kedoya, West Jakarta.
Police also questioned doctor Linggiawati Layhadi and nurse Niluhmas from the Gunung Health Center, where the 14-year-old died.
Irfan Maulana, who had been soliciting rides in the three-in-one area, died on Dec. 8. His body was taken to the health center by public order officers.
As he had no identification on him, he was transferred to the city morgue at Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital as a ""John Doe"".
His brother Muhammad Haris, who had been looking for him, went to the morgue three days later upon hearing rumors of an unidentified dead jockey.
He took a photograph of his brother's body -- showing bruises around his mouth and his hair caked with dried blood -- before reporting the case to police.
Police said there were no fresh bruises on Irfan's body, only scars on his face, and he had been foaming at the mouth before he died.
""The public order officers said the boy suffered an epileptic fit in their car ... but they encountered no difficulties in making the arrest,"" Agus said.
""The body was in poor condition because it had begun to decompose. Because it was unidentified, the body was not stored in a freezer.""
However, two teenagers among the jockeys caught in the same raid said they saw some three to four officers punching Irfan in the face and abdomen.
The two were released from the rehabilitation center four days after the raid.
Agus said the results of a further postmortem examination were due Monday.
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