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Alleged motorcycle thief found dead in Central Java detention cell
Family gives permission for authorities to exhume body to determine the cause of death.
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Illustration of a man in prison. (Shutterstock/Skyward Kick Productions)
A resident of Surakarta, Central Java who was detained for allegedly stealing a motorcycle was found dead while in police custody.
Ali Mahbub, 28, was found dead on Oct. 28 in the Klaten Police’s detention center. His wife, Septiani, 28, suspected that her husband died after being assaulted by other detainees inside the cell.
“Septiani demanded Klaten Police and the prosecutor’s office investigate the cause of her husband’s death,” Greater Solo Legal Aid Foundation (LBH Solo Raya) lawyer I Gede Sukadenawa Putra said on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.
He added that Ali’s relatives had noticed several bruises on his body before he was buried. However, they had yet to receive the autopsy report.
“Authorities promised to give us the report one or two days [after Ali’s death]. They later said the result would be out in a week or two,” Putra went on to say.
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The lawyer said the family had given permission for authorities to exhume Ali’s body to determine the cause of death.
Ali was initially detained in Wonosari Police’s detention center before being transferred to Klaten Police headquarters.
Putra claimed Ali was beaten by 15 other detainees inside the cell.
Klaten Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Edy Suranta Sitepu said the police had named 10 detainees suspects in the incident for allegedly assaulting Ali prior to his death.
He added that no officers were involved in the incident and that all cells were equipped with CCTV cameras. “However, we will impose a punishment if negligence on the part of our officers is discovered in this incident.” (nal)
