Islamic Boarding School Leader Named Suspect in Student Burning Case in Central Lombok

The Central Lombok Police in West Nusa Tenggara have named two suspects in a case involving the burning of three students at an Islamic boarding school, which resulted in one fatality. The suspects are the head of the boarding school, identified by the initials MR (55), and a student, AMR (15), who was a friend of the victims. The case came to light after the police received a report from the victims’ families in June 2026, despite the incident occurring in December 2025. The delay in reporting meant the investigation only recently commenced. The victims were identified as Ahmad Deven Ramdan, 14, and Sahid Al Hudri, 12, who suffered burns, and a 13-year-old student with the initials NSS, who died after receiving medical treatment. At least 20 witnesses have been examined, including criminal and medical experts, and a crime scene investigation has been conducted with evidence seized. The suspects are charged under the Child Protection Law and the Criminal Code for negligence resulting in death and serious injury. According to the investigation, the incident began on 13 December 2025 when the boarding school head asked one of the victims to purchase a litre of petrol from outside the school grounds to be used as a paint thinner substitute for repainting a room. The remaining fuel was then taken by the suspect and the victim to an empty room, where students had previously been gathering wood to make catapults.