Poisoned student dies

> 15-year-old was allegedly forced to drink insecticide by group of youths

NILAI: A 15-year-old student who was hospitalised last week after allegedly being forced to consume insecticide by a group of youths died at the Tuanku Ja’afar Hospital in Seremban yesterday.

The student, identified as S. Pravin ( pix) of Desa Jasmin, was warded at the hospital on April 27, a day after he returned home from school and complained to his parents of having a bad stomachache.

Kuala Lumpur-based nongovernmental organisation Tamilan 1Malaysia Association president A. Janagan said the case was referred to him by the public and he learnt that the teenager was lured to the Nilai old town centre by a fellow schoolmate before they met the youths behind a row of shophouses.

He said the the youths allegedly assaulted and pinned Pravin down before forcing poison, believed to be insecticide, into his mouth.

He said the victim also confided in his parents about the incident before his condition worsened at the hospital.

“We received information that weeks earlier, the victim was involved in a fight with another student at his school and the latter had allegedly ganged up with other youths to take revenge.

“The victim may have had some disciplinary issues at school but for the attackers to resort to such an act is horrible,” Janagan told theSun yesterday. It is learnt that Pravin had stopped schooling in March and was awaiting a transfer to another school.

The victim’s family claimed the teenager’s body yesterday at the hospital mortuary.

Nilai police chief Supt Zaldino Zaludin said investigations are ongoing but police have yet to find evidence of the victim being attacked and poisoned as alleged.

He said a police report received on the case was lodged by the victim’s mother.