An elder sister of a woman allegedly killed by teenagers in Sa Kaew province has requested Deputy National Police Chief Surachate Hakparn to look into the case to ensure fairness as one of the suspect is the son of a local policeman.
The body of Ms. Buaphan or Aunt Buaphan, 47 was found in a pond near the Sriarunyothai school in the Aranyaprathep municipality on Jan 12 with wounds on her head and face.
Shortly after the discovery of the body, her husband Mr. Panya or Uncle Piak, 54 confessed to the crime, saying he had beaten his wife to death with a chair and dumped her body into the pond because she refused to give him money.
After the reenactment of the crime, he was detained on Jan 13.
However, later footage from CCTV in the area did not show Uncle Piak with Aunt Buaphan at the time leading up to the discovery of the body.
Instead, images revealed a group of five teenagers, aged between 13-16, riding two motorcycles, harassing Aunt Buaphan near a convenience store. Authorities brought all of them in for questioning with a multidisciplinary team.
They confessed to attack her after a quarrel on Jan10 and brought her on a motorcycle, heading to the pond where her body was found.
CCTV also showed around 2:40 AM, the teenagers arrived at a car wash about 2 kilometers away from the crime scene to wash the vehicle used in the incident.
Meanwhile, Pol Maj Gen Omsin Bunyanuson, commander of the Sa Kaeo provincial police ordered the transfer of deputy inspector at the Aranyaprathep police station, the father of a teenage suspect to an inactive post at the Sa Kaeo provincial police operation center until the investigation is complete.
Social media activist Guntouch Pongpaiboonwet, also known as Gun Jompalang on Tuesday led the sister of Ms. Buaphan to meet Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn the deputy commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, to seek justice. The concern arises because the perpetrator is the son of a police officer and a minor.
It is believed that there may be police involvement in orchestrating the incident against Buaphan’s husband.
The public is curious about why Uncle Piak confessed to the crime he did not commit. This suspicion arises from the fact that he provided accurate details of the incident, such as the use of a chair, even though he was not present during the events. Questions have been raised about why the police did not find the CCTV footage initially but it was found by a reporter.
In the meantime, the police have arrested all five teenagers and pressed charges. Pol Gen Surachate would travel to Sa Kaeo Tuesday afternoon to look into the case himself. There will be no protection for any police officers involved in wrongdoing, he said. (TNA)
