The van used by the family of the main suspect.
The damaged cars belonging to the suspects.
Police checking the scene. The victim’s body is at the foreground.
KUCHING: Eleven persons including the main suspect have been arrested to facilitate investigation into the murder of a car wash worker at Bandar Baru Semariang, Jalan Sultan Tengah here early yesterday.
It was learned that the 20-year-old worker was killed during a brawl between two groups who were heavily intoxicated.
Based on initial investigation at the scene and from interviews with the suspects, state Crime Investigation department (CID) chief SAC Dev Kumar said the deceased and his friend were heading home on foot around midnight after a drinking spell.
He said a van carrying a few passengers believed to be members of a family stopped them.
“There was a heated argument and exchange of words between the persons inside the van and the deceased. One of the passengers who were believed to be under the influence of alcohol got out from the vehicle and attacked the deceased with a sharp object,” he disclosed to reporters yesterday.
Dev Kumar said they had earlier apprehended the first suspect, a 31-year-old man, at a house near the scene.
He added that the investigation team found a samurai sword and stone at the scene, believed to have been used during the brawl.
“However we did not find the main weapon which caused the death of the victim. We believe that it is a knife, based on the slash marks on the neck,” he said.
At the same time, he conveyed his compliments to the Kuching CID team for their achievement in arresting all the suspects and for solving the case in only a few hours after the incident.
Meanwhile, Kuching deputy police chief (operation) Superintendent Ernest John said the suspect and his family were heading home after attending a pre-Gawai ceremony at Bandar Semariang before the incident that led to the death of the victim identified as Satiban Polis.
He said his men arrested all the suspects when they were seeking treatment at the hospital.
He said they were told by the deceased’s friend who witnessed the incident that he saw the main suspect pulling out a penknife and attacking the victim, causing him to fall to the ground.
It was learned that the main suspect who is a pensioner had just returned to Kuching two months ago.
All the cars belonging to the suspects were damaged in the incident.