Mobbed to death over a debt

CILACAP, Central Java: A 35-year-old man, Sarwan bin Rusno, was mobbed to death by some 500 locals at his residence in Wanareja village here on Monday night following an argument which allegedly involved an unpaid debt.

An eyewitness, Suparno, 30, told police that before the fatal incident, Sarwan was involved in a quarrel with another local resident, Karso, 45.

"Around 8 p.m. Monday, Sarwan gave Karso Rp 35,000 in an apparent effort to pay some of his debts. But Karso yelled at him, saying that he owed him a lot more," Suparno said.

Karso refused to take the money and came back a few hours later with hundreds of locals and raided Sarwan's house, he said.

"The mob then dragged Sarwan out of his house and beat him to death," Suparno said on Tuesday.

Cilacap Police chief Supt. Bambang Sudarsiman confirmed the incident and also the recent spate of mob killings.

"We've tried all means to stop such brutal mob action. But so far nothing has worked," he said on Tuesday.

Sarwan's death adds to the number of people killed by street mobs in Cilacap this year which is at least 48.

According to witnesses, Sarwan was known to locals as a man who liked to borrow money but always refused to return it.

"But that's not an excuse to take the law into their own hands and kill a man," the officer asserted. (45/edt)