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KOTA KINABALU: A 22-year-old youth died after being beaten with a belt in an apparent feud between families at Kg Lok Buno in Penampang here.
Khairul Nizam alias Ray bin Wasli, who was unemployed, died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on Christmas Day after he succumbed to severe head injuries purportedly caused by incessant beating from a metal-buckled belt.
Penampang acting district police chief Ass Supt Rafizi Che Ramli on Wednesday said that three youths aged between 26 and 36 were detained late Tuesday in connection with the case that police have classified as murder.
He said initial investigations showed that Khairul, his 34-year-old brother and a friend were heading back to the village when three people - two of whom were known to them - flagged them down for a lift back into the village at around 6.20pm on Monday.
As they were driving on the way into the village, one of the suspects asked the brothers if they (the brothers) had assaulted his younger brother but the two brothers denied having anything to do with the assault.
Subsequently, the three people inside the car started to punch the brothers and their friend forcing the elder brother who was at the wheel to pull over to the side of the road, Rafizi said.
The friend and elder brother managed to flee but Khairul was caught by the group who started to punch and kick him before one of the suspects pulled out his belt and hit him till he was unconscious.
Family members rushed Khairul to the hospital where he died without regaining consciousness, said Rafizi, adding that the suspects were arrested in Kota Belud and Putatan.
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