Vina Murder Film Revives Pursuit of Three Fugitives
Jakarta. The Criminal Investigation Department of the National Police (Bareskrim Polri) has formed a task force to aid the West Java Regional Police in arresting three fugitives sought in connection with the 2016 homicides of Vina and her partner, M Rizky Rudiana, in Cirebon, West Java.
The case resurfaced and went viral on social media following the release of the film "Vina: Sebelum 7 Hari (Vina: Before 7 Days)" on May, 8.
"We've dispatched a team to support the West Java Police," announced Djuhandhani Rahardjo Puro, Director of General Crimes at Bareskrim Polri, on Thursday.
The West Java Police had issued a wanted list (DPO) for the trio linked to Vina and her partner's killings. Commissioner Jules Abraham Abast, Head of Public Relations for Polda Jabar, denied that the fugitives have affiliations with law enforcement.
"We've released a DPO with the identities of Andi, Dani, and Pegi, also known as Perong," he affirmed.
Vina, a second-year vocational high school student at the time, fell victim to 11 members of a motorcycle gang on Jalan Raya Talun, Cirebon Regency, West Java. Her body, alongside her partner Eki's, was discovered on a sidewalk. Initially categorized as a solo vehicle incident, the subsequent investigation uncovered the murders and sexual assault. The case is presently under the jurisdiction of the West Java Regional Police.
Marliyana, Vina's sister, was pleased that the incident was brought to the big screen, prompting the police to renew their efforts to capture the three remaining fugitives.
"Among the original 11 suspects, eight have been apprehended, leaving three still at large. Despite the trial's conclusion, these three have remained elusive. The movie 'Vina' has reignited public interest in the case, prompting law enforcement to take action. Our consent to the film was not in vain; it has refocused attention on the case," she shared during an interview on Wednesday.
Subsequently, Vina's family asked for the assistance of prominent lawyer Hotman Paris. He urged the West Java Police to summon the families of the fugitives.
"I suspect there's external influence affecting the whereabouts of the remaining three fugitives. Their residences remain unclear, a detail that should have been documented in the investigative report," Hotman Paris remarked during a press briefing at Central Park Mall, West Jakarta, on Thursday.
Hotman Paris suggested that "significant forces" have been at play concerning the fugitives since the movie's production.
"When film producer Dheeraj Kalwani attempted to start filming, certain police personnel obstructed the process. This only deepens suspicions that vested interests are aiming to conceal the identities of these individuals," Hotman Paris emphasized.
He implored the National Police Chief and the West Java Police Chief to swiftly resolve the case.
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