Madiun Murder Suspect Hid in Religious Retreat, Using Alias
Dwi Bagus Martono (40), a suspect in the alleged premeditated murder of his common-law wife, Dini Hardiyanti (30), and his four-year-old stepchild, AGF, reportedly used an alias to cover his tracks while on the run. He used the name ‘Amanullah’.
The allegation was disclosed by Aipda Sigit Dwi Susanto, head of the operational team of Unit III, Sub-directorate for Violent Crime (Jatanras), at the East Java Police’s Criminal Investigation Directorate. Sigit said Bagus used the name while fleeing and hiding at a religious retreat belonging to a religious leader, or gus, in Gudo district, Jombang regency, East Java.
“At the retreat, the gus changed his name to Amanullah, not Aminullah,” Sigit told CNNIndonesia.com on Friday (30 October).
Sigit said that, according to investigators’ questioning, Bagus hoped the name would bring him good fortune. Bagus reportedly said it meant ‘safe because of Allah’.
“So that he would not be easily found, and according to him the name means safe because of Allah,” Sigit said.
Bagus stayed at the retreat for around two weeks, where he reportedly hid and tried to calm himself.
“He was at the retreat for more than two weeks to calm himself,” Sigit said.
Police discovered the hiding place after investigators had first detained Dwi Bagus’s legal wife, identified by the initials MAI (34), at a location in Surabaya. She then provided information about her husband’s network of friends, which helped police track him down.
Sigit subsequently led the East Java Police Jatanras operational team that arrested Bagus at the retreat on Sunday (25 October).
Separately, AKBP Arbaridi Jumhur, head of Sub-directorate III Jatanras at the East Java Police’s Criminal Investigation Directorate, said the gus who owned the retreat initially objected when investigators moved in to arrest Bagus. After the police explained the situation, however, he understood and allowed them access.
Bagus was arrested while fast asleep in a hut on the retreat grounds. Investigators handcuffed him and carried him to a car to take him to the police station for further questioning.
“There was some resistance from the landowner, the owner of the place. But after we explained, he understood. In the end, we took [the suspect] away,” Jumhur said.
The case came to light after Dini Hardiyanti (30) and her child, AGF (4), went missing on 20 September 2026. They had said they were going on a trip to Telaga Sarangan in Magetan with Bagus to celebrate AGF’s birthday.
Bagus was sought and arrested on Sunday, 25 October 2026, after police found strong evidence pointing to his involvement in the murders of Dini and her child.
Investigators allege that Bagus killed Dini at a hotel in Madiun, then killed the child several hours later in a car.
Bagus allegedly attempted to conceal the crime by burning the victims’ bodies. He then crushed the remains using a machine, burned them again and disposed of the material in a river.
Bagus is currently undergoing legal proceedings at the East Java Police’s Criminal Investigation Directorate on suspicion of premeditated murder. He could face the death penalty, as police have applied the premeditated-murder provision in the case.