Battambang: A police officer has been arrested for murdering his brother-in-law in Battambang. The arrest was made by the Serious Criminal Force of Battambang on Thursday, after the victim’s body was found already in a decomposition state. Battambang Serious Crime Unit says the murder case has been under investigation for over two months.

It was on the morning 31 August that villagers were horrified to discover the body of Yang Sarath, a 45-year-old male in Daun Ba Commune. He had been savagely beaten to death and his body partially buried in a local forest. In an attempt to cover up his crime, the murderer dug a hole to hide the corpse, but the body was not fully concealed and was soon found by locals. The victim showed signs of severe bludgeoning around both the face and head. These injuries where the probable cause of his death.

According to the police report, the victim had been previously arrested for a minor disturbance. He was last seen with the suspect, Deputy Inspector General Dak Sokha, on the 28th August, who is a brother-in-law of the victim. The police officer was transporting the victim back to his home on release. That was the last time the victim was seen alive. Police say the case is now closed.