Cops dive for evidence in tahfiz fire case
KUALA LUMPUR: Investigations into the deadly fire at a religious school led police divers to a lake in Taman Tasik Datuk Keramat where they searched the murky waters for a screwdriver used by the arsonists.
According to a source, one of the seven suspects in the case was brought at about 10.30am yesterday to the lake behind the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah religious school where 23 people died on Sept 14.
Also involved in the search was a police investigating team and the Forensics Unit. The divers had yet to find the screwdriver when the search ended yesterday.
The source said the screwdriver was thrown into the lake after the fire.
“The screwdriver was used to gain entry into the school. It is very vital for the case,” the source told Bernama.
Kuala Lumpur CID chief SAC Rusdi Md Isa, when contacted, confirmed the search but declined to elaborate.
Police had on Monday brought the seven suspects, all boys, to the school ground, apparently to explain to the investigating team what actually took place on Sept 14.
The fire that occurred at about 5am at the school claimed the lives of 21 students and two teachers, who had also served as wardens. All of them were were trapped on the top floor of the threestorey building.
Last week, the order for the remand of the suspects was extended to this Friday to facilitate the investigation. — Bernama