Hotman 911 Team Alleges Cover-Up in Lombok Student Burning Case

The case of the alleged burning of three Islamic boarding school students, which resulted in one death, in Central Lombok continues to unfold. The case was discussed during a hearing with Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives in Jakarta. During the hearing, Putri Maya Rumanti of the Hotman 911 Team accused the case of being covered up. Putri named three parties allegedly involved in a criminal conspiracy to conceal the incident that occurred on 13 December 2025. These are the Rosudatussaulatiyah Al Ibrahimy Islamic Boarding School, the Central Lombok Ministry of Religious Affairs, and the local police. According to Putri, the police had been aware of the case from the beginning but failed to conduct a proper investigation. She stated that the case is not a complaint-based offence but a general crime, meaning that once the police were aware of a suspected criminal act, they should have initiated an investigation by filing a model A police report. Putri accused the Batukliang Police of instead assisting the boarding school in a criminal conspiracy to cover up the case. She claimed this was reflected in the minutes of a peace agreement proposed by the school to the victims’ parents. She urged the National Police Chief to form an internal investigation team and to transfer the handling of the case from the Central Lombok Police to the West Nusa Tenggara Regional Police. She argued that the local police were strongly suspected of being involved in a criminal conspiracy to obstruct justice under Article 221 of the Criminal Code. The team also demanded the removal of the Central Lombok Police Chief and the Batukliang Police Chief, as well as an investigation into the local Ministry of Religious Affairs officials who allegedly directed the boarding school to pursue an out-of-court settlement. Putri further alleged the involvement of a boarding school leader’s child, identified as Y, in the abuse and bullying of the victims prior to the fire, which she said triggered the incident. The Central Lombok Ministry of Religious Affairs denied the accusations, with an official stating they had no connection to any peace agreement or criminal conspiracy. He explained that the ministry only suggested resolving the matter amicably if possible, and that the suggestion was made a month after the victim’s death. The ministry also noted that the boarding school had previously conducted a mediation session, resulting in a peace agreement and a compensation payment of Rp 5 million to each victim’s family.