KUALA LUMPUR: Police have solved a theft case at Low Yat Plaza in Bukit Bintang, here, which sparked a riot on Saturday.
Police sources said the case was a clear-cut theft involving a 22-year-old man, who took a cellular phone from a shop without paying.
“Investigations revealed that the man had stolen a phone, which led to him being arrested by members of the public. Police have also acquired CCTV recordings, which showed him talking with a sales representative before taking the phone and walking away when the sales representative was looking the other way.”
Sources said the sales representative, who was shocked upon noticing that the phone was stolen, shouted for help.
This prompted the suspect to start running down an escalator, but he stumbled and fell. The man was then caught by a group of other men at the scene and later handed over to the plaza’s security personnel.
The man’s arrest had upset his friends, who went to the plaza about 7.50pm Saturday and created a ruckus.
The group of seven ran amok there, beating up several workers of a cellular phone outlet and damaging its goods and equipment.
Videos and pictures of the incident went viral on social media shortly after the riot took place, with many versions of rumours circulated, some linking the incident to racial issues.
The rumours led a group of some 100 men, who claimed that they represented several non-governmental organisations, to rally in front of the plaza earlier this evening.
However, quick action by police prevented any untoward incident.