Police have pressed charges against two in a case filed in connection with the torture of domestic help Aduri.
Queen Akhter, investigation officer of the case and sub-inspector of the Women Support and Investigation Department of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, submitted the charge sheet on October 10 against Nowrin Jahan Nodi and her mother Ishrat Jahan.
Dhaka’s Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s court on the same date transferred the case docket to the Women and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal 3 for cognisance of the charge sheet.
As the eid vacations started right after the charges were pressed, the media did not get any information. The Dhaka Tribune has come to learn about the matter on Tuesday.
Eleven-year old Aduri, who was recovered by police from a dustbin in the city on September 23, was Nodi’s domestic help.
Saiful Islam Masud, Nodi’s husband, Chunnu Mia, Masud’s brother-in-law, and Md Roni, Chunnu’s brother-in-law, were discharged from the charge sheet.
In the charge sheet, the investigation officer said she had not found any evidence that the three men were involved with torturing Aduri.
Queen Akhter also mentioned in the charge sheet that she had seized one automatic iron and a paddle – believed to have been used in torturing Aduri – from Nodi’s house. She also said there would be 14 prosecution witnesses.
In her confessional statement given on October 1, Nodi said her 2005 marriage with Masud was a love marriage. Her husband brought Aduri to work as a domestic help to their Kalabagan residence in last December.
Nodi said her husband had tortured her over silly matters. That was why, she said it became impossible for her to live with him. After six months, she went to live with her mother and took Aduri with her.
She admitted to torturing Aduri because she claimed she used to remain upset because of financial crisis as her husband did not give her any money for food or clothing.
On September 18, Aduri fell sick and she sent her to the Gulistan bus stand in the capital so that the girl could take a bus to go to her home in Barisal, Nodi said.
Assistant Bench Officer of the tribunal Shanaz Begum told to the Dhaka Tribune that defence counsel had earlier filed a bail petition. The Tribunal fixed November 3 for hearing on the bail plea.
On September 26, police picked up Nodi in connection with a case filed by Aduri’s uncle on charges of torturing her and dumping her in a dustbin. Police showed the arrest of Nodis’ mother Ishrat Jahan, from her Pallabi residence, On September 2.