PETALING JAYA: The 59-year-old man who doused an elderly lottery shop attendant with petrol and set her on fire did so out of dissatisfaction with the lottery numbers he received, say police.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Fadil Marsus said the suspect and victim, 62, knew each other though they were not close acquaintances, Berita Harian reported.
“For now, investigations indicate that the motive of the incident was a personal grudge. Cases like these rarely occur. Setting a person on fire is an extreme form of violence.
“Having arrested the suspect, we are now collecting all evidence and completing our investigation,” he was quoted as saying.
Fadil said the suspect was arrested in the Kepong area yesterday and a remand application would be filed today to assist in investigations.
The victim was set alight outside a lottery shop on Aug 9 after being doused with what police believed to be petrol. The woman, who works as an attendant at the shop, suffered burns to about 50% of her body.
Fadil said the victim had been placed in an induced coma for further treatment.
