Sat, 05 Feb 2000

Grandmother survives abduction

JAKARTA (JP): An elderly woman was rushed to the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital emergency room for multiple injuries, including a broken leg, after she survived an abduction.

Nasuha, 69, said she was kidnapped by a gang of men, who claimed to be her relatives, on Jan. 25 from her house on Jl. Mahony, Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta.

"They took me by plane to Madura, where I was then kept in a small house," she told reporters at the hospital, while adding that she did not know them or the area they took her.

"I saw them carrying a gun, a machete and a sickle. I also saw them inhaling drugs."

She said the gang treated her very badly.

"They beat me and kicked my body and head. They did not feed me anything for three days," she said.

"When I complained about the pain in my right leg, they crushed it and broke it."

Nasuha said her abduction was in connection with the arrest of a businessman identified as Bahar, 50, who married two of her eight grandchildren and allegedly raped another.

He was arrested by Jakarta Police on Thursday following a report by one of Nasuha's granddaughters, who was allegedly raped by Bahar. Knowing their boss was arrested, Bahar's subordinates returned Nasuha to her family on Friday morning.

"Granny was in bad condition when the alleged kidnappers sent her home this morning," Komsatun, Nasuha's son, said.

"We're thinking of filing a report with the police." (06)