Villagers run amok in BSD complex

JAKARTA: Some 300 villagers ran amok and attacked the security guard office of the upmarket Bumi Serpong Damai housing estates in Tangerang last Saturday following the death of one of their neighbors who was accused of stealing a toilet bowl.

Armed with sticks and stones, hundreds of angry local people from Lengkong Gudang Barat kampong, marched to the office after they heard rumors that Nur Alim, 26, was killed by the security guards from the elite complex. The police and security guards were able to restore order before any major violence erupted.

The incident began early last Saturday when residents of the housing complex caught Alim red-handed with another man stealing items from an empty house. The security guards and residents quickly subdued the two, and apparently as a result of the scuffle Alim died.

First Brigadier Suwadi from the Tangerang police said that Alim was dead, while his friend was now being held by the police.

Police are still investigating the case. --JP