A schoolgirl was abducted in broad daylight by a man accused of raping her in Ulipur upazila of Kurigram.
Locals and the girl’s family say the incident could take place because police neglected to arrest the accused in over eight months since he had been charge-sheeted in the rape case.
Following the abduction in Krishnamangal of Gunaigachh union on Thursday, the father of the seventh-grader filed another complaint with Ulipur police station, failing to trace his daughter’s whereabouts.
According to the complaint, the accused Sohel Rana, raped the 13-year-old girl on several occasions, prompting her father to file a case against him in January. Police subsequently submitted a charge sheet accusing Sohel. But Sohel, disregarding the lawsuit, continued to harass the child and recently raped her on Wednesday. When the girl’s grandmother tried to stop the rape, Sohel assaulted her as well. The next day, Sohel assaulted the girl’s father and grandmother and abducted the child in broad daylight.
The girl’s father said: “Sohel said he would marry my daughter who is still a minor and the police could do nothing about it.”
He also alleged that the police failed to arrest Sohel even after repeated complaints and pleas.
According to locals, even though Sohel was charged with rape, he would openly go about his day without a care in the world while police neglected to arrest him. Now he has fled with the child to get away from the law.
Saying the case was yet to be recorded as of Friday morning, Ulipur police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Moazzem Hossain said: “The girl’s father lodged a complaint regarding the abduction of his daughter Thursday night. We are currently trying to rescue her.”
The OC also confirmed that Sohel Rana was accused in the charge sheet submitted eight months ago in the case filed for the rape of the same girl.
“The accused had not yet been arrested as he has been on the run ever since the charge sheet was submitted. The few times he did come back home, the girl’s family failed to notify us. We are currently looking into the matter,” the police official added.