Angry residents burn down house

TANGERANG: Some 200 residents of Leuwi Halu village in Tigaraksa district of Tangerang burned down a house which was believed to have been used to spread misleading religious teaching practices on Monday evening.

Tigaraksa subprecinct police chief Adj. Comr. Purwadi said on Tuesday that the angry residents arrived at 8:30 p.m., when some 50 people were reading wirid (religious prayer) led by Haitami, 40, the house owner.

The residents yelled. They scolded Haitami and his congregation and threw stones at the house. Minutes later, some shouted "burn the house," so they immediately torched the house which was leveled to the ground. A motorcyle was also burned in the incident.

The congregation, comprising of married couples and their children, as well as Haitami, managed to escape.

Purwadi said the police regretted the incident, but no one has been arrested.--JP