14 detained over Sentul clash

BOGOR (JP): Police have detained at least 14 people following a clash Thursday involving 200 residents of Sentul village in Citeureup that left dozens injured and damaged a house.

Bogor Police Precinct chief Lt. Col. Ruslan Riza said over the weekend that the questioning would hopefully help police identify those who sparked the violence.

"The 14 people are now detained at the police headquarters and we hope we can name the suspects in the next few days," Ruslan told reporters.

According to Antara, the clash erupted because of an animal rivalry.

The trouble, the news agency reported, started on Wednesday when a pet dog belonging to a local business bit a chicken owned by Surya Baharai, a resident in the neighborhood.

Knowing his chicken was injured, Surya shot the dog with his air rifle and vented his fury using harsh words, saying that his chicken was so expensive his neighbors could not afford to buy it.

The dog did not die.

However his neighbors considered Surya's words insulting. They decided to teach Surya a lesson, the report said.

To avoid a serious clash, three neighborhood leaders decided to hold talks with Surya at his house in the evening hours of the next day.

Antara said that while the three representatives were still inside the house, dozens of people who had been waiting impatiently outside the building suddenly pelted the house with stones.

The unexpected attack surprised those, including people performing a Koranic recital, inside the house.

The angry mob swelled to about 200 people in just few minutes. They pelted Surya's house with sticks and stones.

The area was only brought under control after police intervened an hour later. (ind)