Police attacked over student's death

Police attacked over student's death

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: Around 500 people, including
students from numerous universities and motorcycle taxi drivers,
in West Nusa Tenggara staged a violent demonstration on Wednesday
to demand a probe into the death of a student.

Mustakim, a first year student at Sumbawa University, died on
Tuesday evening after being taken by police officers from the
hospital, where he had been treated for light injuries sustained
in a traffic accident.

Sources at the hospital said at least six police officers
dragged the victim out of the hospital on Tuesday afternoon, beat
and threw him into a patrol car.

Hours later, the police return Mustakim to the hospital but he
was already dead, they said.

Mustakim's relative Husain said the deceased's body was
covered in wounds when handed over to his bereaved family.

The protest turned violent after the Sumbawa Police claimed
Mustakim had died from a drug overdose.

The angry demonstrators stoned the Sumbawa Police station and
damaged a police post. They also beat two police officers who
tried to mingle with the crowd. --JP