2 days ago
Police probe viral video of man assaulted, forced into 4WD
SEBERANG PRAI: Police have launched an investigation after a video showing a man being assaulted and forced into a four-wheel drive vehicle went viral on TikTok.
The 2-minute and 5-second clip, which began circulating on the platform on July 17, captured three men assaulting the victim on the head and body before coercing him into the vehicle.
Seberang Prai Selatan district police chief Superintendent Jay Januari Siowou said the incident is believed to have occurred at around 7.16pm on July 16.
He said initial investigations suggest the attack may have stemmed from allegations of jewellery theft involving the victim.
"In the video, three male suspects were seen assaulting the victim on the head and body without using any weapons before forcing him into a four-wheel drive vehicle," he said in a statement today.
Siowou said the victim, who suffered injuries to his face and head, received treatment at a hospital.
"The victim is also being investigated for a theft case and has been arrested.
"He is currently under remand for four days until July 20 to assist in investigations," he said.
The case is being investigated under Section 325 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing grievous hurt.
"Efforts are ongoing to trace all suspects involved in the incident."
Those with information of the incident are urged to contact investigating officer Inspector Sarina Mohd Adam at 017-291 2781.
Police also reminded the public not to take matters into their own hands.
"We advise the public not to resort to vigilante actions and to allow the authorities to handle the situation in accordance with the law," he said.
Meanwhile, two CCTV clips show three men arriving in a white four-wheel drive and forcing a man into the vehicle.
In the footage, two men approached the victim, who was standing across the road with a few others, before they began roughing him up.
A third suspect, dressed in white, then joined in and dragged the man towards the parked vehicle.
One of the suspects was seen repeatedly punching the victim when he tried to resist and escape.
While one man carried his upper body, another grabbed his legs, and they shoved him into the back seat.
The third suspect then got into the driver's seat and drove off with the victim.
Alongside the clips, a voice note of a conversation between one of the suspects and another person claiming to run an NGO has also gone viral.
The conversation, believed to be in Tamil, appears to be a confrontation about how the victim was taken.
The man, said to be representing the victim, is heard questioning why the group took matters into their own hands if a police report had already been lodged.
The suspect responds by saying the victim was wanted for theft and that police had allegedly instructed them to bring him to the station.
The caller then says he will lodge a report based on the vehicle's number plate due to the way the three men had assaulted and abducted the victim.
