Kiai Ashari Did Not Flee Alone: Police Arrest Man Who Assisted His Escape

The flight of Kiai Ashari (51), founder of Pondok Pesantren Tahfidzul Qur’an Ndolo Kusumo in Pati, is believed not to have been carried out alone. Police have uncovered the involvement of a man with the initials KS, who is said to have assisted the suspect during his time on the run from law enforcement. KS was arrested by police in the Bekasi area on Wednesday, 6 May 2026. After being secured, the man was immediately brought to Pati City Police Headquarters for intensive questioning regarding his alleged involvement in Kiai Ashari’s escape. The Head of Criminal Investigation Unit at Pati City Police, Commissioner Dika Hadian Widya Wiratama, stated that KS is suspected of assisting Ashari from the process of being summoned as a suspect until he finally fled. “The man in white clothing is suspected of participating in the suspect’s escape during the summons as a suspect,” he said on Thursday, 7 May 2026. Police suspect KS did not merely provide ordinary assistance in the escape. Pati City Police Chief, Senior Commissioner Jaka Wahyudi, revealed that the man is believed to have been involved in planning the getaway up to efforts to erase Ashari’s tracks while moving between cities. “The person suspected in the suspect’s escape, both from planning to activities on how to erase tracks, was assisted by the one we arrested,” Jaka said. The case emerged after dozens of female students were allegedly victims of sexual violence by a boarding school supervisor. The victims’ legal representative, Ali Yusron, stated that the report had been filed with Pati City Police since 2024. However, he assessed that the handling of the case had progressed quite slowly despite being accompanied by several pieces of evidence, including medical examination results. This incident has also triggered public reaction. Mass actions were reported on Saturday, 2 May 2026, as a form of disappointment over the alleged case affecting the female students. “We demand that this be followed up as a preventive measure by relevant institutions on how there is supervision of educational institutions to intensify the implementation of good education and to be wary of deviations in the organisation of education,” said Cholil Nafis. In addition, he highlighted the role of supervisory bodies such as the Majelis Masyayikh under the Ministry of Religious Affairs to be more active in monitoring and evaluating the conduct of education in boarding schools to ensure it remains in accordance with regulations and ethics.