KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 — The police have arrested a suspect to assist investigations into the attack yesterday afternoon on sports journalist Haresh Deol in Bangsar.

Brickfields district police chief Assistant Commissioner Hoo Chang Hook said police had arrested a 37-year-old man and obtained a three-day remand until November 28.

“The suspect is unemployed and the motive is believed to be personal. The case is still under police investigation,” he said, adding that the public is urged to not speculate and to wait for investigations to be completed.

Last night, Hoo confirmed that a police report had been lodged yesterday at 4pm about an incident where Haresh was assaulted at Jalan Maarof, Bangsar, near a shopping mall’s carpark, and that the incident involved three male suspects.

Haresh was said to have been attacked while walking towards Jalan Telawi.

Hoo had said Haresh had suffered injuries to his face, hands and body as he had fallen while trying to flee from the attackers.

Hoo also said that the case is being probed under the Penal Code’s Section 323.

Section 323 carries the penalty of a maximum one-year jail term or a maximum RM2,000 fine or both for the offence of voluntarily causing hurt.

Haresh is deputy president of the National Press Club and co-founder of the news portal TwentyTwo13.

TwentyTwo13 yesterday said the incident happened at around 3.30pm while Haresh was walking towards his car, and that two men attacked him while a third man filmed the attack on a mobile phone.

The portal said the attackers fled without taking any of Haresh’s belongings, and that he suffered bruising to his nose and leaving both his elbows bloodied.