Alleged thief found dead

A man who is believed to have stolen money from the charity box in the Sukasari Mosque in Sukasari subdistrict, Tangerang, was found dead on Tuesday evening, the victim of what police think was an incident of mob violence.

Tangerang Police deputy chief of detectives, Insp. Kustanto, said the body of Sandir, 69, a resident of Kober village, Tanah Tinggi subdistrict, Tangerang, was discovered by the mosque keeper, Didi.

According to the officer, there were several blunt weapon injuries to the back of the victim's head. When the body was lifted up, Rp 500,000 in banknotes was found. The money allegedly was stolen from the charity box.

The police suspect that Sandir was mobbed to death by local residents who caught him stealing money from the charity box. To avoid being arrested, the locals left the body of the victim where it fell and did not file a report with the police.

Kustanto said the police would investigate the matter. Sandir's body was sent to the Tangerang General Hospital morgue. -- JP