Santri Burning Case in NTB: DPR Demands Police Chief Guarantee Legal Process Free from Intervention

Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Commission III, Ahmad Sahroni, has called on the West Nusa Tenggara Police Chief to thoroughly investigate the case of violence in which a student was burned by a fellow student at the Rosyidatusshaulatiyyah Al Ibrahimy Islamic boarding school in Central Lombok Regency. Sahroni urged that law enforcement be carried out objectively and free from any intervention by local or religious figures. The legislator from the NasDem Party faction stressed that the public and Commission III will closely monitor the case to ensure the victim receives full justice. He insisted that police investigators must act firmly and professionally without being influenced by external pressure attempting to sway the investigation. ‘I ask the NTB Police Chief to give full attention to this investigation. Ensure the victims receive full justice immediately. Remember, Commission III and the public are watching this case. There must be no intervention from anyone, whether local figures, religious figures, or parties trying to influence the legal process. Just investigate objectively and fairly,’ Sahroni said in a written statement on Friday. Sahroni also highlighted several irregularities surrounding the boarding school’s operations. According to collected data, the school’s operating permit has been expired since 2021. Furthermore, prior to the tragic burning incident, there were strong suspicions of systematic bullying that was ignored by the institution’s management. He reminded the school’s management to seriously reform so that similar cases do not tarnish the reputation of thousands of other Islamic boarding schools across the country that are managed orderly, officially licensed, and safe for students. For him, boarding schools must be restored to their original function as a place for building noble character and a safe learning environment for the younger generation. Previously, the police had named two suspects in the case. They are MR, the student accused of burning the victim, and the head of the boarding school, Tuan Guru Haji Ahmad Muzakki, for alleged negligence. TGH Ahmad Muzakki himself has rejected his suspect status, calling the police decision an act of injustice against him.