A 15-year-old girl is among 13 suspects arrested following the death of a 17-year-old boy who was allegedly struck by vehicles during an incident at Persiaran Indahpura Roundabout here on August 25.
Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the incident was believed to have stemmed from a confrontation involving two rival secret society groups in the area.
The deceased, who was no longer attending school, was believed to have been travelling with four friends in a Perodua Myvi when they were allegedly followed by several vehicles while returning from a meal.
Ab Rahaman said police initially received information about a fatal road accident at the roundabout at about 12.38am and opened an investigation under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
However, subsequent investigations following the arrests revealed that the incident may have involved a deliberate pursuit.
“The vehicle carrying the victim was hit by one of the vehicles, causing it to lose control. The victim was thrown from the car before being struck by a Toyota Vellfire.
“He was pronounced dead at the scene,” he said during a press conference at the Johor Contingent Police Headquarters today.
The 13 suspects, aged between 15 and 31, were arrested in several raids conducted across Johor and Selangor over three days following the incident.
They have been remanded to assist investigations under Sections 302 and 148 of the Penal Code, as well as Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
Police checks found that several of the suspects had previous criminal records. However, urine screenings conducted on all the suspects returned negative results for drug abuse.
Authorities also seized 12 mobile phones of various brands, three vehicles – a Kia Forte, Toyota Vellfire and Toyota Hilux – as well as a baseball bat and a baton.
Ab Rahaman said police were continuing their investigation to identify any other individuals who may have been involved in the incident.
The case has since been reclassified as a murder investigation, with police probing the circumstances surrounding the fatal incident and the alleged involvement of the suspects.
