Police Chief: Bripda Dirja was picked up during dawn prayers and beaten to death

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — The Chief of Police for South Sulawesi (Sulsel), Inspector General Djuhandani Rahardjo Puro, revealed that the motive behind the death of Bripda Dirja Saputra (19 years old) at the South Sulawesi Police dormitory was a seniority issue. Djuhandani stated that Bripda P, who has been named a suspect in connection with Bripda Dirja’s death, felt that as a senior officer, he deserved respect from the victim.

“The motive is a matter of hierarchy; the senior officer was angry because the junior officer (the victim) was summoned but refused to appear,” said Djuhandani in a text message to reporters in Jakarta on Wednesday (February 25, 2026).

Because he was considered to be insubordinate, Bripda P and his colleagues picked up Bripda Dirja while he was about to perform his dawn prayers. Then, an assault occurred, with repeated beatings that ultimately led to the victim’s death. “During the dawn prayers, he was picked up and assaulted, beaten,” said Djuhandani.

Bripda Dirja died at the South Sulawesi Police dormitory on Sunday (February 22, 2026). After the body was handed over to the family, both parents suspected that the condition of the body, which was bleeding from the mouth, was not consistent with the initial explanation. The victim’s parents then reported the death of their son. However, based on the initial explanation received by the police, Bripda Dirja was said to have died after repeatedly hitting his head.

After the case was revealed, it was discovered that there had been an assault committed by the victim’s senior officers. On Monday (February 23, 2026), Inspector General Djuhandani Rahardjo Puro said that from the preliminary investigation, one police officer named Bripda P was named a suspect, who was the victim’s senior officer. The internal team of the South Sulawesi Police is currently also examining five other members in connection with the assault.

“We believe that this was an assault. And with the hard work of the Professional and Internal Affairs Division (Bid Propam) and the General Criminal Directorate, we were able to prove that an assault had occurred,” said Djuhandani in a video press release received by reporters in Jakarta on Monday (February 23, 2026).

Djuhandani explained that the initial investigation into this case began with an internal report. He said that the initial report stated that Bripda Dirja Saputra had died due to his own actions.

“In the initial report we received, it was stated that the victim (Dirja Saputra) died because he repeatedly hit his own head. That was the first thing we heard based on the report,” said Djuhandani. However, Djuhandani said that the internal team did not believe the report.

Then, Djuhandani said that the internal team conducted an investigation by directly inspecting the crime scene. The internal team also conducted examinations of each witness and the reporting members. The police also conducted an autopsy.

“We didn’t just believe the report from the members who said that the victim repeatedly hit his own head. After the examination and the examination by the Medical and Health Division (Bidokes), we found several bruises that we believe were the result of an assault,” said Djuhandani.

After finding evidence and witness testimony, the investigation found that there was consistency regarding the victim who died as a result of the assault. “And based on the evidence, we named one person as a suspect, who was the victim’s senior officer,” said Djuhandani.

Bripda P, who has been announced as a suspect, is currently still being questioned along with his five colleagues. “All five of these are his classmates,” said Djuhandani.