Perpetrators of Grandmother Elina's Eviction and Home Destruction Charged with Multiple Counts

The trial for the alleged destruction of an elderly woman’s home in Surabaya, Grandmother Elina Widjajanti, has begun. The three defendants, Samuel Ardi Kristanto, Mohammad Yasin, and Sugeng Yulianto, underwent their first hearing with the reading of the indictment at the Surabaya District Court on Wednesday (15/4). In the proceedings, Public Prosecutor Ida Bagus Putu charged the defendants with multiple counts. Samuel and the others are accused of violating Article 262 Paragraph (1) and Article 521 Paragraph (1) in conjunction with Article 20 letter d of Law Number 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code. Public Prosecutor Ida Bagus Putu Wisnyana stated that the case originated when defendant Samuel claimed ownership of Elina’s house located in Dukuh Kuwukan, Lontar, Sambikerep, Surabaya. Samuel then sought assistance from Mohammad Yasin, a member of the Madas mass organisation, to forcibly vacate the residence at the end of July 2025. “Then on 2 August 2025, the defendant asked Mohammad Yasin to help empty Elina’s house, bringing several people to stand guard around the house,” said Ida. Tension arose on 5 August 2025. Although Elina’s legal representatives had requested that any eviction be carried out through court procedures, the defendants insisted on proceeding with the forced eviction. “Because there was no agreement, on 6 August 2025, the defendant asked Elina Widjajanti to leave the house, but she refused. The defendant threatened to forcibly carry Elina out if she still did not want to leave the house,” explained the prosecutor. Samuel then ordered Yasin and Sugeng along with several subordinates to drag Elina out of her residence by force. This incident is said to have caused physical injuries and psychological shock to the grandmother. “As a result of the defendants’ actions, it caused injuries to the lip and trauma to Elina Widjajanti,” said Ida. Not stopping at the forced eviction, in the second indictment, the prosecutor stated that the defendant intentionally mobilised others to damage the building with threats of violence. “The defendant’s unlawful actions destroyed or made the building unusable,” she emphasised. Samuel is suspected of deploying at least seven labourers to demolish Grandmother Elina’s house until it was levelled with the ground and uninhabitable. As a result of this organised action, the victim is estimated to have suffered material losses of up to Rp1 billion. “The actions caused Elina Widjajanti to suffer losses of up to Rp1 billion,” concluded Ida.