Police have arrested nine men to facilitate investigations into the case involving a public university student who was beaten and robbed at Taman Sri Perak flat in Jelutong here last Thursday.

Timur Laut District Police chief ACP Faridalatrash Wahid said the suspects, aged between 21 and 24, were picked up in a hotel in Bayan Lepas at 6.30pm yesterday.

"They were nabbed following a report lodged by the 22-year-old student, who sustained severe injuries after being beaten and robbed in an incident at 11pm in Jelutong last Thursday," he told Bernama when contacted Sunday.

Mior said the victim, who lives in Mutiara Idaman flat in Jelutong, claimed that a friend had contacted him earlier and wanted to meet and discuss something with him at a shop near his house.

He said as soon as the victim arrived at the shop, two men, including the said friend, pushed him into the shop before three other men arrived in a van and asked him to get in, with one of them pointing a knife at his waist.

"They took him to Taman Seri Perak flat and during the journey, he claimed to have been beaten by the three men, with one man pointed a machete at his throat and told him not to make noise or fight back," he said.

Mior said upon arriving at the scene, 20 men were already waiting and the victim was badly beaten by them using iron rods and sticks.

"They also robbed him of his watch, bracelet, three rings, cash of RM500 and threaten to cut off his fingers before leaving him there," he said.

He said the victim sustained a broken nose, eye injury, chest pain and breathing difficulty, besides bruises and wounds all over his body.

"Initial investigation found that it all started when the victim allegedly badmouthed a family member of one of the suspects," he said, adding that investigations were being done under Section 394 of the Penal Code.