0 New Year’s Fight in Bali Leaves One Man Dead

A man was killed and two more were seriously injured after a brawl erupted shortly after the New Year celebration in the Peguyangan Kaja area of Denpasar in Bali. Denpasar Police Chief Sr. Comr. I Wayan Sunartha identified the casualty as I Nyoman Adi Saputra, 24, a resident of West Denpasar who died from stab wounds on his right stomach and upper thigh. “The victim [Saputra] has been taken to the Sanglah Public Hospital for autopsy,” the officer said. 

Two people from Peguyangan were also injured in the incident, identified as Wayan Suardana, 42, and Ketut Ardana, 32, who both sustained bruises on their chest and cheeks as well as minor cuts on their hands and heads. Ardana, Sunartha said, was the one who stabbed Saputra to death and will be placed under police custody once he is released from the hospital, where he is being treated for his injuries.  

Saputra, who police believe was drunk at the time, was driving a motorcycle with a friend riding on the back, when the pair crashed into a closed metal gate belonging to the Gunung community unit. “The locals were actually about to help [Saputra and his friend]. But because several locals also shouted at them and told them to be careful, the victim [Saputra] felt offended,” Sunartha said. Saputra, the officer said, had a war of words with the locals but left before the conflict escalated to violence. 

However, Sunartha explained, Saputra later came back to Peguyangan in a pickup truck along with a number of his friends. “According to the perpetrator [Ardana], the victim [Saputra] brought between four to five people from his neighborhood,” the officer said. Saputra and his friends immediately attacked Ardana and Suardana, inflicting severe injuries. During the chaos, Ardana took out a knife he was carrying and stabbed Saputra. Saputra’s friends fled after he was stabbed. 

Police are planning to charge Ardana with manslaughter, which carries a maximum prison term of 15 years, but the court could set him free if it is ruled that it was an act of self defense. Leaders from the two communities were immediately called to a meeting facilitated by Sunartha, Badung Police Chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Benny Arjanto and Denpasar Deputy Mayor I Gusti Ngurah Jaya Negara to prevent violence from escalating. It was agreed at the meeting that the incident should remain as a fight between individuals and not become a conflict between communities. The leaders also opted for the case to be prosecuted by the police.

source : the jakarta post