Man beaten for love affairs

PURBALINGGA, Central Java: If you're dating, make sure you're home by midnight.

That seems to be the lesson painfully learnt by Sugeng Suroso, a 45-year-old court clerk, who was beaten up by neighbors at Bojongsari subdistrict as he was caught romancing a 25-year-old widow in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Sugeng, a married man with children, was known to have had an affair with Wati for over two years.

Locals had several times urged Sugeng to marry the widow or at least cease his late night rendezvous which were making neighbors increasingly uneasy.

"We've actually urged him several times to just marry Wati. But he just ignored us, so our patience ran out," Budi, a local resident who claimed to witness the incident.

Residents' ire boiled over Tuesday night as they stormed Wati's house and found the couple in the bedroom. Sugeng was beaten up and dragged to the local village hall.

"Till midnight there was no sign that Sugeng was leaving Wati's house, so residents got angry," Purbalingga deputy police Comr. Was'an Tjitro said recounting the incident.

On Wednesay morning, Sugeng was still at the local police station.

"We hope next time residents don't take matters into their own hands," Was'an remarked.(04/45)