Police believe an old grudge was the motive behind the murder of a disabled youth in Padang Lati, Bachok, on April 15.
Kelantan police chief Mohd Yusoff Mamat said the case is considered solved following the arrest of seven suspects aged between 25 and 52, including a married couple.
According to him, investigations revealed that all those detained were friends or acquaintances of the victim and that disagreements had occurred among them prior to the incident.
“Four of the suspects have previous criminal records, but urine tests showed all of them tested negative for drugs,” he said.
Police also seized various items during the arrests, including a car, three motorcycles, six mobile phones and two wooden sticks believed linked to the case.
Mohd Yusoff said the victim was believed to have been assaulted inside a house in Kota Bharu district before being dumped by the roadside in Padang Lati, Bachok.
“The victim was left at the roadside with severe injuries to make it appear as though he was involved in an accident rather than being assaulted. He later died the following day while receiving treatment at the hospital,” he explained.
He spoke during a press conference after attending the Kelantan police contingent headquarters monthly assembly on Monday.
Investigations also found that the main masterminds behind the crime were two men aged 25 and 28, while several others allegedly assisted in moving and abandoning the victim at the roadside.
“The distance between the location where the victim was assaulted and where he was abandoned was about 6.5 kilometres. The suspects are currently under remand and the case is being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code,” he said.
Police added that the suspects are expected to be charged in court in the near future.
Previously, media reports identified the victim as Muhammad Zakir Fikry Mohd Zainal, a 20-year-old man with learning disabilities who was believed to have died as a result of the assault.
The victim, who suffered serious head injuries, passed away at 12.55am while receiving treatment at the Emergency Unit of Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia in Kubang Kerian.
