Mystery of Death of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Diplomat in Boarding House

Tangerang, July 23, 2025 – The death of Arya Daru Pangayunan (39), a diplomat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu), remains a major mystery. The victim was found dead in his boarding room on Jalan Gondangdia Kecil, Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (July 8), with his face wrapped in yellow duct tape.

To follow up on the family's report and obtain additional information, the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) visited the scene on Tuesday (July 22). At the scene, Kompolnas inspected several parts of the victim's room, including the ceiling, plumbing, mattress, and the position of the door lock.

Kompolnas Commissioner Choirul Anam explained that his team also asked the boarding house guards to demonstrate the process of opening the door before discovering the victim's lifeless body. He emphasized that there are two types of locks on the room door: a regular lock and a slot lock, which can only be locked and unlocked from the inside.

"The key slot was locked at the time. We confirmed this directly with the guard and also compared it with the available video," said Anam.

No Strange Sounds Before the Victim Was Found

Interviews with other boarding house residents revealed that no suspicious sounds were heard the night before the victim was found. One of the residents, who stayed up until 1 a.m., also stated that nothing unusual had occurred.

"It was quiet that night, there were no suspicious sounds," explained Anam. He also stated that the boarding house was in normal condition at the time, with only a light drizzle.

History of Activities Before Death

Anam stated that his team had obtained a chronological overview of Arya Daru's activities before he was found dead. This information was obtained from his family, including events before and after his death.

Furthermore, the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) has confirmed intense communication between the victim's wife and the boarding house guard leading up to Arya's death. "We have obtained detailed minute-by-minute communications between the victim's wife and the boarding house guard, including the context of the conversations," said Anam.

Black Plastic Bag and CCTV Footage

One key point in the investigation is the presence of a black plastic bag that Arya was carrying. CCTV footage shows the victim entering his boarding room at 11:23 PM WIB on Monday (July 7). One minute later, he is seen leaving with the black plastic bag and re-entering the room two minutes later without it.

According to Anam, the contents of the plastic bag have been examined by the police and could be important evidence in this case. "We were shown the contents and explained the procedures for handling such evidence," he said.
Awaiting Autopsy Results

After visiting the scene, the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) also met with investigators from the General Criminal Investigation Directorate (Ditreskrimum) of the Jakarta Metropolitan Police. During the meeting, investigators explained the progress of the investigation, including the evidence collected.

Anam stated that the case is currently awaiting the results of the forensic autopsy. "This autopsy is specific, not just a post-mortem or standard autopsy. We are all still waiting for the complete results, and hopefully they will be released soon," he concluded.