The cleric is known to have fled, allegedly towards Wonogiri, on Wednesday (May 6, 2026). However, his escape was short-lived. Pati City Police Chief, Senior Commissioner Jaka Wahyudi, confirmed that his team had arrested Ashari. "He's been arrested," replied Pati Police Chief, Senior Commissioner Jaka Wahyudi, as quoted by DetikJateng, Thursday (May 7, 2026).
Jaka said that the police are currently on their way to bring the suspect back to Pati. Today, Ashari is scheduled to undergo questioning as a suspect in a case of sexual violence against 50 female students at the Ndholo Kusumo Islamic Boarding School.
Kiai Ashari himself has been difficult to reach in this case. Today's questioning, as stated by the police, is the second summons after he was named a suspect. Instead of appearing, Ashari attempted to flee.
In fact, Ashari also "successfully" kept the case stalled for two years by the police. As is known, the police first received a report from a molestation victim in 2024. At that time, a female student who had just graduated from the Islamic boarding school filed a report.
The victim told the police that she had been molested and raped by the perpetrator since 2020. At the time, the victim was around 15 years old. The police then investigated the case. "These incidents occurred consecutively from February 2020 to January 2024. The crime scene was at Pondok Ndholo Kusumo, Tlogowungu District, Pati Regency. The victim was 15 years old at the time of the incident in 2020, and the defendant was Asyhari," said the Head of the Pati Police Criminal Investigation Unit, Commissioner Dika Hadiyan Widya Wiratama.
Ashari was officially named a suspect on April 28, 2024. He was charged under multiple articles, namely the Child Protection Law and the Sexual Violence Crime Law (TPKS). The penalty was a minimum of five years and a maximum of 15 years in prison. However, the case suddenly disappeared.
Apparently, the Islamic boarding school (pesantren) continued to use its influence to suppress the report by approaching the victim's family. As a result, the victim withdrew the report due to Ashari's promise of amicable settlement. It was later discovered that Ashari also offered the victim's family Rp 400 million in "peace" money. "There were obstacles along the way. The victim's parents expressed their intention to resolve the matter amicably, so several witnesses withdrew their testimony, citing concerns about their children's future," said Pati Police Chief, Senior Commissioner Jaka Wahyudi.
In reality, during that time, Ashari's behavior escalated. Kiai Ashari's victims continued to increase. One female student, a rape victim, became pregnant and was forced into a marriage with a senior student to cover up his actions.
Ashari often used the name and reputation of his Islamic boarding school, known for its positive image, to disguise his deviant behavior. Kiai Asharu and the Ndholo Kusumo Islamic Boarding School are indeed seen as a "god" of help for the poor and orphans in Tlogowungu.
This Islamic boarding school provides free religious education and primarily accepts students from orphans and economically disadvantaged families. This has earned him a special place in the hearts of the community and earned him a reputation for strong social awareness.
In addition to managing the boarding school, Kiai Ashari is also actively involved in various religious activities in the surrounding area, such as leading tahlil (Islamic recitation) events, sholawat (prayer recitation), and regular religious study sessions. His presence is often considered beneficial to the community and has earned him even greater respect. In 2023, the Islamic boarding school he oversees received financial assistance for orphaned students from a social group, further strengthening his positive public image.
This is what initially made many victims' families afraid to report the case. Ashari's case resurfaced after hundreds of people stormed the Ndholo Kusumo Islamic Boarding School on Saturday (May 2, 2026). The protesters were a combination of local residents, the Pati Santri Alliance for Democracy (Aspirasi), and GP Ansor Pati.
The protesters demanded that Kiai Ashari be arrested and the Islamic boarding school closed, as the sexual assault case had deeply disturbed residents. Ahmad Nawawi, a representative of local youth and Islamic boarding school students, stated that Ashari's actions had tarnished the reputation of the village, the Islamic boarding school institution, and the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) organization.
Although it was later discovered that the Ndholo Kusumo Islamic boarding school is not officially affiliated with the Nahdlatul Ulama Islamic Boarding School Association (RMINU), "We are very concerned because the person concerned is using the name of the Islamic boarding school. This damages the image of the Islamic boarding school, the name of NU, and the good name of our village," he stated on the NU Online Jateng website.
The protest itself began after another female student bravely reported the case in 2026. Police then took action and finally named a suspect on April 28.