'Magic' drink kills five in Tegal<\/p>\n
Nana Rukmana and Suherdjoko, The Jakarta Post\/Tegal<\/p>\n
Five Tegal residents died, including a husband and wife, and two
\nothers fell seriously ill on Friday after drinking a beverage
\nprepared by a local shaman.<\/p>\n
Police arrested Iskandar, who is suspected of giving the drink
\nto the victims, which he asserted would bring fortune or divine
\npower to people who drank it. The beverage was poisonous.<\/p>\n
The tragic incident began on Wednesday evening when seven
\npeople, from various subdistricts in Tegal regency, Central Java
\nprovince, gathered at the house of Rofi'i, a resident of Kupu
\nsubdistrict, Tegal regency.<\/p>\n
The seven met with Iskandar in the house, who is a local
\nspiritual guru and resident of Mendik subdistrict here.<\/p>\n
In the meeting, the seven were requested to carry out various
\nrituals and listen to the advice of Iskandar.<\/p>\n
They were also requested to drink a beverage, which had been
\nblessed by Iskandar. \"The beverage had to be consumed on Thursday
\nnight (a sacred night for Javanese),\" said First Insp. Sugeng,
\nthe chief of detectives at Tegal Regental Police station.<\/p>\n
The people apparently heeded Iskandar's advice and drank the
\nbeverage on Thursday night separately in their homes.<\/p>\n
Sarmadi, 45, a resident in Pangabean subdistrict, Suparman,
\n40, a resident in Margasari subdistrict and Rohimah, 40, a
\nresident of Pesarean subdistrict, were found dead in their beds
\nwith blood flowing out from their nose and mouth.<\/p>\n
Rofi'i, 55 and Masturoh, 50, were found dead in the kitchen in
\ntheir home in Kupu subdistrict.<\/p>\n
Bariyah, 20, the daughter of the couple, said that she
\ndiscovered her parents dead on Friday morning.<\/p>\n
She said that she also found a glass of the beverage on a
\ntable in the kitchen.<\/p>\n
Also found on the table were kemenyan (a type of incense) and
\na sheet of paper inscribed with an incantation in Arabic.<\/p>\n
Bariyah said that her parents were fine the night before.<\/p>\n
Warkinah, 44, from Mergasari subdistrict and Suharjo, 50, from
\nPesarean subdistrict survived, but were seriously ill.<\/p>\n
\"The two survived after being rushed to a local hospital,\"
\nsaid Sugeng on Friday.<\/p>\n
A preliminary investigation has found that the seven people
\nwere members of a group that believed they could attain fortune
\nand divine power.<\/p>\n
\"We are investigating the case more deeply,\" said Sugeng.<\/p>\n
Adj. Sr. Comr. Tri Nugroho, the chief of Tegal Regental
\nPolice, said on the same day that beverage had been sent to the
\npolice laboratory at Central Java Police station for analysis.<\/p>\n
\"We are waiting for the results from the police laboratory,\"
\nsaid Tri, as quoted by detik.com news portal.<\/p>\n
The five victims had been buried, said Tri.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/magic-drink-kills-five-in-tegal-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }