Insult 'Handsome but Poor' Drives Man to Murder in Klungkung

The motive behind the murder of I Nyoman Cita (50), also known as Man Colik, by Agus Novit Pramana Putra (30), known as Petong, has become clearer. Klungkung Police revealed that Petong could not accept having his economic status belittled by the victim. “The words expressed by the victim were related to material matters, his economy, and daily life, which the perpetrator felt degraded his dignity and self-worth,” said Klungkung Police Chief AKBP Mikael Hutabarat during a press conference at the Klungkung Police Headquarters on Wednesday (22/7/2026). The victim’s remarks, which hurt Petong so deeply that he planned the murder, centred on the word ‘poor’. When asked if phrases like ‘you are handsome but poor’ were indeed used, Mikael confirmed. “Yes, it was about the economy and material matters,” Mikael stated, nodding his head. Mikael also revealed that the victim’s taunts were not a one-off occurrence but were frequently sent via private messages. “It was quite frequent. Both through WhatsApp and direct messages on his social media. Likewise, through comments on his social media,” Mikael explained. However, based on the investigation and the perpetrator’s confession, Mikael confirmed there was no romantic relationship between the two, dispelling public suspicion. Mikael further explained that the physical meeting between the perpetrator and the victim occurred only once, during the incident. However, they frequently interacted virtually. The hurtful words stemmed from these indirect conversations. “Based on his statement, they had never met. It was the victim’s words via chat that caused the perpetrator’s deep resentment. We have not found any other issues during the examination process,” Mikael concluded. Meanwhile, Head of Criminal Investigation Unit of the Klungkung Police, AKP Reno Chandra Wibowo, explained that multiple charges have been filed against Petong. Petong is charged under Article 459 of the Criminal Code on alleged premeditated murder and Article 479 Paragraph (3) of the Criminal Code on alleged violent theft resulting in death. “The penalties include the death penalty, life imprisonment, or a maximum of 20 years in prison. Meanwhile, Article 479 carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison,” Reno stated. The murder case was uncovered after Petong was arrested by a joint team from the Klungkung Police Criminal Investigation Unit and the Bali Regional Police’s General Criminal Investigation Directorate at a boarding house on Jalan Mahendradata Selatan, West Denpasar, in the early hours of Friday (17/7/2026). As previously reported, Man Colik was found dead floating in the Bubuh River on Thursday morning (2/7/2026). The middle-aged man had been reported missing after excusing himself to bathe in the river on Wednesday night (1/7/2026). The body was found face down south of the Bypass bridge near the Klungkung KPU office at around 7:30 a.m. local time. Tragically, police discovered multiple slash wounds on the body, indicating foul play.