PADAWAN: Police have reclassified an armed riot case that took place in an eatery at Jalan Matang on Apr 16, to a murder investigation after one of the injured victims died.
The 30-year-old victim succumbed to his injuries around 10.10pm on Monday (Apr 25) while receiving treatment at Sarawak General Hospital (SGH).
Padawan OCPD Supt Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad confirmed that the case has been reclassified to Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, which provides for the death sentence, if convicted.
Previously, the case was classified under Section 148 of the Penal Code for rioting.
He pointed out that the investigation is currently ongoing to identify who attacked or hit the victim.
Inspection at the scene found that the premises did not have a closed-circuit camera (CCTV) while the CCTVs at nearby shops were damaged.
So far, no witnesses have come forward to help with the investigation.
Police have arrested a total of 16 suspects all of whom have been remanded to facilitate investigations.
On Apr 16, the victim along with two other men in their 20s and 40s, suffered injuries in an armed riot which was caused by dissatisfaction with business profit distribution.
