A traders was tortured by a gang of local goons as he refused to sell petrol on credit at Kotalipara, Gopalganj on Thursday night.
Jhantu Shaha, 24, is now undergoing treatment at Gopalganj Sadar Hospital as the hoods beat him indiscriminately with a hammer and pulled out one of his toenails by a pliers.
Jhantu Shaha said: “Monir Mridha, 35, a listed criminal, came to my shop a few days back and wanted to buy petrol on credit. When I refused to do so, he threatened me that he would took revenge on me.
“When I was returning to home from my shop around 9pm on Thursday, a gang of local hoodlums led by Monir took me away to his house. The gang numbering four people confined me in a room and beat me severely with a hammer. At one stage, they pulled out one of my toenails.”
He said hearing his screams, an elderly man Jahangir Sheikh rushed there and then the gang fled from the scene.
“Later, local people brought me to the hospital,” he added.
Jibon Shaha, victim’s brother, filed a case with Kotalipara police station for attempting to murder his brother.
Police arrested Monir Mridha, but his other cohorts – Israfil, 28, Siraj Sheikh, 32, and Santu, 28, - went into hiding after the incident.
“The incident has created panic among my family members. We are suffering from insecurity. We want punishment to the criminals, said Jibon Shaha.
Officer-in-Charge of Kotalipara police station Abdul Latif said, Monir Mridha had been sent to jail. He said: “We are trying to arrest others.”