Indonesian police on Thursday said they are investigating a fire that killed a journalist and three of his relatives in North Sumatra last week amid suspicions of arson.

The journalist, 40-year-old Rico Sempurna Pasaribu, died when a fire razed his home in Kabanjahe a week ago.

His wife, a 12-year-old child, and a three-year-old grandchild were also killed.

Pressure mounted on police to investigate after a local journalist group claimed the incident may have been related to Pasaribu’s stories on illegal gambling.

“Police are working based on facts on the ground, not based on opinions and assumption,” North Sumatra police spokesman Hadi Wahyudi told AFP.

“We are paying special attention to this case.”

The local Journalists Safety Committee said the fire may have been related to Pasaribu’s reporting of local gambling allegedly organised by a member of the military.

The military said it was looking into the allegations.

Indonesian journalists investigating cases of local corruption frequently face intimidation by authorities, according to Reporters Without Borders.

The press freedom watchdog ranked Indonesia 111th out of 180 countries in the 2024 press freedom index.

AFP