One man was stabbed dead and eight have since been arrested after a dispute over women working at a karaoke club turned into a street brawl in Phnom Penh’s Stung Meanchey commune early Wednesday morning, police said.
Chin Vesna, 21, was stabbed once in the chest outside the Maly nightclub after he arrived at about 3 a.m. with friends and began arguing with a group of men who were talking to two female employees in front of the club, commune police chief Mao Saroeun said, adding that both groups knew the women.
“They fought because of jealousy over karaoke girls,” Mr. Saroeun said.
The police chief said the brawl erupted after Chin Vesna and five friends arrived on motorbikes and gave dirty looks to a group of eight men who were chatting with the women.
The newly arrived group then stepped off their bikes and hurled insults at the eight men, leading to a brawl during which Mon Tev, 28, produced a steel blade and rammed it under Chin Vesna’s armpit, according to a commune police report.
The report said that Chin Vesna was rushed to the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital but died at about 5 a.m.
It said that the group of eight men had been drinking and were on their way to NagaWorld Casino to “hang out,” but stopped to talk to the women.
Teng Sino, chief of police in Meanchey district, said that Mr. Tev and his seven friends were arrested after one was found at his home and led police to the rest of the group.
Mr. Sino also said that police had concluded that only five of the eight were involved in the violence, though the other three had not been released.
“They are all in the Stung Meanchey commune police station for questioning and will be sent to court tomorrow,” Mr. Sino said.
