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Jakarta Post

Police search for 7 more suspects in Medan university mob killing

“Some are at large. We’re searching for them all, including some students who were involved in the beating,” he said Monday.

Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post)
Medan
Mon, February 25, 2019

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Police search for 7 more suspects in Medan university mob killing “Some are at large. We’re searching for them all, including some students who were involved in the beating,” he said Monday. (Shutterstock/-)

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olice are searching for seven suspects connected to the mob killing of two men at Medan State University in North Sumatra (Unimed), following the arrest of four security guards.

It is believed that some of the suspects are university students, according to Medan Police criminal unit chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Putu Yudha Prawira.

“Some are at large. We’re searching for them all, including some students who were involved in the beating,” he said Monday.

Investigators identified the seven suspects through their questioning of four arrested security guards, namely M. Arya Prasta, 22, Bagus Prayetno, 18, M. Abdul Kadir, 21 and Feri Zulham, 26.

“We have questioned them, and they confessed to the beating,” he added.

The four are accused of beating Jhony Fernando Silalahi, Arya Prasta and Steven Sihombing after dragging them from the university’s gate to a security post.

 “One victim died at the post and another died en route to Medan Haj Hospital,” Putu said.

On Feb. 19, Jhony and Steven, residents of Siodorejo subdistrict in Medan Tembung district, Medan, entered the Unimed complex on a motorcycle. Later, they were accused of stealing the helmets of two people who had reported the theft to campus security.

As Jhony and Steven were leaving the campus, they were allegedly stopped by security guards and told to produce a vehicle registration document (STNK), which they did not have.

The security guards reportedly tried to open their motorcycle’s storage compartment under the seat to look for the stolen helmets, but Jhony and Steven refused to comply. They were then allegedly handcuffed and beating.

A video of the beating went viral last week.

Percut Seituan Police chief Comr. Faidil Zikri has said that investigators had questioned several witnesses in the case, including the students whose helmets were allegedly stolen.

The four suspects have been charged under articles 170 and 351 of the Criminal Code on aggravated assault that led to death. Combined, the maximum punishment is 13 years’ imprisonment.

The families of the two deceased victims have demanded that police thoroughly investigate the case.

“[Jhony] was not a thief. The motorbike he rode belonged to his in-laws,” Jhony’s cousin, Sutan Silalahi, told The Jakarta Post at his residence in Medan Tembung district last week.

He added that Jhony’s death was a huge blow to the family.

Jhony was an onion trader at MMTC, Sutan said.

When Jhony was unable to leave Unimed because he did not have his vehicle motorcycle’s STNK, he called his pregnant wife and asked her to bring his vehicle ownership document (BPKB) to the campus instead because the STNK was with his in-laws in Penang, Malaysia.

“Before his wife could arrive, he was beaten by a mob and died,” Sutan said.

Percut Seituan Police investigation and crime unit chief First Insp. MK Daulay said they had received a report from victims’ families.

The police also received a report from the two university students whose helmets were allegedly stolen, Daulay said. (swa)

 

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