The family of the lone accused responsible for the hit-and-run fatal car accident in Gulshan, Dhaka - which led to the death of victim Liyana Tripura Popy- has offered to settle the case out of court.
Popy’s family members claimed that the family of the accused, reportedly a minor, who was driving the car that hit Popy on October 18 in Gulshan, has offered cash and some other out of court settlement deals. The deals include jobs for the victim's family members, if they agree to drop the charges, they said.
Two persons representing the family came to Thanchi upazila in Bandarban the day Popy’s cremation was done, said Joyonto Nikolas Tripura, Popy’s brother and plaintiff of the case.
He added that people representing the accused driver called Popy's family a number of times, allegedly to settle the issue out of court. Joyonto also said they offered Tk50,000, but the family refused.
“All we want is justice,” said Joyonto. He also alleged that the age of the suspect [driver] responsible for the hit and run fatal accident was reduced to legally seek leniency for the accused.
“We want a fair investigation and nothing but justice,” he said.
Meanwhile, Joy Tripura, brother of another victim Srabonti Helena Tripura, told Dhaka Tribune that a member of the driver’s family also called him over the phone and insisted to speak to Popy’s family for a possible settlement of the case.
“They offered to pay the victim's family Tk15 to Tk20 lakhs. They told me that they are well-connected and if needed they could arrange a job for any unemployed person of Popy's family,” Joy claimed.
Out of court settlements are quite common in Bangladesh as many families, particularly the low income groups, in general, agree to the proposals by influential families in cases of fatal road accidents.
Former director of Ain-O-Salish Kendra and human rights activist Nur Khan Liton said that out-of-court settlements are fairly common in Bangladesh, but forcing the bereaved family to compromise to such pressures is a form of criminal offence.
“There are instances when the victim or the victim’s family is compelled to cooperate and give false testimony against the law,” he said.
“If the laws are not enforced, these criminal incidents will never stop,” said Nur Khan.
When asked, Gulshan police station sub inspector Rabiul Islam, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, said no one raised any complaints on any such issue.
“I am not sure if both the families had any talk or if matters related to an out of court settlement was discussed,” he added.
What happened to Popy?
On October 18, Liyana Tripura Popy, a 23-year-old student and beauty parlour employee, was killed when a vehicle ran over the rickshaw carrying her and her colleague Srabanti Tripura on Road No 79 at Gulshan. Both were critically injured and taken to a private hospital, where Liyana was declared dead.
Police later apprehended the underage driver, now 17, and a Dhaka court sent him to the Juvenile Development Centre in Gazipur in the case of hit-and-run death accident.
Liyana, the second of three siblings, moved to Dhaka four years ago, and secured a job at a beauty parlour in Gulshan two years ago. She was a second year student at Bandarban Government College.