Armed men harass elderly lady

JAKARTA (JP): A group of 10 men armed with knives stormed onto the property of a 65-year-old woman in South Jakarta on Wednesday and abruptly removed some of her outdoor furniture, witnesses and a police officer said.

The officer, who asked for anonymity, quoted relatives of Mairoh, the property-owner, as saying that the looting was probably due to a prolonged dispute over the 2,800-square-meter land of the house.

The 10 men, who are now being traced by police, assaulted the woman's son, Syahmudin Utomo, 28, who rushed to the scene after being summoned by his wife, Heriyanti, 22, who lives at the house together with Mairoh's daughter Hartini, 30, and granddaughter, Veena, 12.

"Syahmudin was hit in the head with a huge wooden beam," the officer said. "He received seven stitches on the right side of his head."

According to Heriyanti, the 10 suspects arrived in the afternoon in a Daihatsu Feroza jeep, a Toyota Kijang and an open truck. Upon their arrival, they immediately loaded chairs, tables, a swing and patio furniture from the house's garden on Gg. Melati of Jl. Ampera Raya.

"One of the men, named Loren, insisted that the land had been sold to his client. But he did not name his client," Heriyanti said.

"This is not the first time he has come here with his men."

According to Syahmudin, "This land has been in our family for ages now. My father would never have sold it to anyone. Those people have no right to intimidate us the way they have done."

Police are still investigating the case. (ylt)