Police move the victim’s body for transportation to the Kapit Hospital mortuary. — Police photo
KAPIT (Sept 3): A hunting trip among four friends in the forests of Sungai Tanyit in Nanga Merit turned tragic on Wednesday, when one of the hunting party was shot dead after being mistaken for a wild boar.
Kapit police chief DSP Freddy Bain identified the deceased as Jembu Selukai, 36, from Rumah Kilau, Sungai Melilau, Kapit.
Freddy said Jembu was shot in the stomach and left leg, and died while being brought back to the logging camp where he worked.
A 45-year-old suspect has since surrendered himself at the Kapit District police headquarters.
Police also seized the homemade shotgun used in the incident.
The suspect has been remanded to facilitate the investigation under Section 304 A of the Penal Code for causing death by negligence and Section 8 of the Arms Act 1960 for possessing or carrying arms and ammunition without an arms licence or arms permit.
It is understood that the incident happened around 3pm, when the four friends had split up, with two assigned to catch fish and the other two to hunt.
The suspect had detected movements in the bush and, thinking it was a wild boar, had shot in that direction.
When he went to check, the man instead found he had seriously wounded his friend.
The victim’s body was later brought to Kapit Hospital for a post-mortem.