Jakarta - Bahar bin Smith, a suspect in an alleged assault case\nagainst a Banser member in the Cipondoh area of Tangerang City,\nreportedly filed a request for suspension of detention. The request was\ngranted by police. What was the reason?<\/p>\n
Tangerang City Metropolitan Police Chief Comr. Raden Muhammad Jauhari\nrevealed that health reasons supported by medical records were cited.\nThis was taken into consideration for the suspension of Bahar\u2019s\ndetention.<\/p>\n
He also dismissed reports that Bahar\u2019s detention was suspended\nbecause he was the family\u2019s sole breadwinner.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me set the record straight\u2014the reason is not that he is the sole\nbreadwinner, but that the individual is in a condition of illness.\nAccording to his legal counsel, he is ill, and there are medical records\nshowing he was in an accident and is undergoing a recovery period and\nwill need major surgery,\u201d Jauhari explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cConsidering that physical condition, combined with direct guarantees\nfrom family members\u2014his mother and wife\u2014and his legal counsel, the\ninvestigators approved the request not to detain him,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, Jauhari assured that the legal process continues.\nThe case files for Bahar and three other suspects in the case will be\ncompleted promptly so they can be transferred to the court as soon as\npossible.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe investigation is clearly still ongoing. For the other suspects,\nthe P-19 file requirements have been fulfilled, and the files from Habib\nBahar\u2019s examination are also being processed for transfer to the\nProsecutor\u2019s Office. This process continues,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Besides Bahar, police have also named three other individuals as\nsuspects in the same case. Police said two others also received\ndetention suspensions, though the specific reasons have not been\ndetailed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I\u2019m not mistaken, there were suspensions. We\u2019ll look into it\nfurther,\u201d said Jakarta Metropolitan Police Public Relations Chief Comr.\nBudi Hermanto.<\/p>\n
Bahar bin Smith was reported for alleged assault and mob violence\nagainst a Banser member during a Prophet\u2019s Birthday celebration in\nCipondoh in September 2025, in the Cipondoh area, Tangerang City.\nBahar\u2019s designation as a suspect is documented in the investigation\nprogress notification letter (SP2HP) from police report\nLP\/B\/1395\/IX\/2025\/SPKT\/Polres Metro Tangerang Kota dated September 22,\n2025. The suspect designation was made after investigators conducted a\ncase review.<\/p>\n
Bahar bin Smith and associates have been charged under Article 365 of\nthe Criminal Code on theft with violence, and\/or Article 170 on mob\nviolence, and\/or Article 351 on assault, in conjunction with Article 55\non joint participation in criminal acts.<\/p>\n
Police revealed Bahar\u2019s role in the mob violence case. Bahar\nallegedly participated in hitting the victim.<\/p>\n
\u201cBased on witness and victim statements, the individual (Bahar)\nparticipated in the beating,\u201d said Jakarta Metropolitan Police Public\nRelations Chief Comr. Budi Hermanto on Tuesday (3\/2).<\/p>\n
However, Bahar bin Smith\u2019s legal counsel denied the accusations\nagainst his client. He argued that Bahar was actually saving people at\nthe scene.<\/p>\n
\u201cHabib Bahar had no role in it. He was actually trying to save people\nat the time. Someone was trying to attack him, and he was secured by\npeople there. He was brought inside so he wouldn\u2019t be assaulted. But it\nwas uncontrollable because there were so many people,\u201d lawyer Ichwan\nsaid when contacted separately.<\/p>\n
Police examined Bahar bin Smith as a suspect on Tuesday (10\/2) after\nhe was absent from a previous summons. The examination process is still\nongoing.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is still in the examination process because he only came in\nyesterday afternoon. We\u2019re still reviewing it\u2014the examination process is\nstill in stages and ongoing,\u201d said Jakarta Metropolitan Police Public\nRelations Chief Comr. Budi Hermanto on Wednesday (11\/2\/2026).<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we\u2019re giving space to the investigators at Tangerang City Police,\nincluding the person currently undergoing examination,\u201d he\ncontinued.<\/p>\n
Budi said that of the four suspects, only Bahar bin Smith has been\nexamined so far. \u201cOnly one, the individual in question, but the other\nthree suspects had already been designated previously,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Victim Demands Bahar bin Smith Be Detained<\/strong><\/p>\n Previously, Banser member Rida, the victim of the alleged assault,\nexpressed disappointment that Bahar bin Smith had been named a suspect\nbut had not been detained. He demanded police carry out the detention\nimmediately.<\/p>\n \u201cI am personally very disappointed with the reason that supposedly\nthere is a suspension because he is a breadwinner and a teacher,\u201d Rida\ntold reporters in the Karawaci area, Tangerang City, Banten, on Thursday\n(12\/2\/2026).<\/p>\n \u201cI am also a breadwinner. To this day, I have been following this\ncase, and my own finances are still unstable because of pursuing this\ncase. Yet the police give such a reason\u2014I am very disappointed,\u201d he\ncontinued.<\/p>\n Rida affirmed he will continue pursuing legal channels. He demanded\nBahar bin Smith be detained.<\/p>\n \u201cThe case will continue. I hope Bahar will be properly charged,\narrested, and imprisoned,\u201d he stated firmly.<\/p>\n Bahar bin Smith\u2019s Apology<\/strong><\/p>\n Bahar previously appeared and delivered an open apology regarding the\nalleged assault case against Banser member Rida. He also specifically\napologized to GP Ansor, the organization the victim belongs to. He\nexpressed hope that relations among Muslims would be preserved.<\/p>\n \u201cMy brothers, as we know, regarding the incident some time ago,\ntogether with Haji Arif, Haji Edi, and Pak Dwi, I extend my apology for\nthe incident that befell our brother Pak Rida,\u201d Bahar said in a video\nstatement received by reporters on Wednesday (11\/2\/2026).<\/p>\n \u201cWe also extend our apology to the extended family of GP Ansor,\nparticularly our family at GP Ansor Tangerang, Banten. This incident\nserves as a lesson for all of us to jointly maintain Islamic\nbrotherhood,\u201d he added.<\/p>",
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