KUANTAN: A man sustained injuries after he was assaulted by a mob wielding helmets and wooden sticks following an accident at the Sungai Isap traffic light junction near here on Sept 1.
The victim, in his 30s, whose Proton Wira had allegedly knocked into a motorcyclist at the junction, suffered a fractured finger and body injuries during the 2am incident.
Police have so far picked up two suspects in their 20s and are hunting for several other youths believed to have been involved in the attack, which has since gone viral on social media.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Ashari Abu Samah said the case came to light after the victim’s family lodged a police report on Sept 1, after he was admitted to the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital here.
“Initial investigations revealed the victim was with a male friend inside the car at the traffic light junction. While entering the junction, the car accidentally knocked into a motorcyclist before the driver sped off.
“A group of motorcyclist chased the car as the victim drove towards a workshop, located less than 5km away. The victim claimed he stopped at the workshop and stepped out to resolve the matter when he was attacked,” he told reporters at the Kuantan police headquarters here today.
Ashari, who had earlier attended an anti-bullying townhall with representatives from the Kuantan Education Department, said the victim’s friend remained inside the car throughout the incident and was unharmed.
“Only the victim was assaulted by a group of men using helmets and wood. There were about 20 motorcyclists at the scene and we are in the midst of tracking them down.
“We picked up two suspects on Sept 2 for investigations. Both the suspects, who were tested negative for drugs, have been remanded until Sept 5 for investigations,” he said.
Ashari said the duo were investigated under Section 326 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing grievous hurt with dangerous weapons, which carries a sentence of up to 20 years’ jail, a fine, or whipping upon conviction.
He also dismissed rumours that the victim had been driving against traffic, leading to the accident.
In a viral video, the victim’s car is seen knocking into a motorcyclist at the junction before he drove off as the motorcyclist, who fell to the ground, got back on his feet while another video showed a group of men surrounding the victim’s car and attacking him before policemen arrived to calm the situation.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
