A police officer in Mymensingh has been accused of kicking a pregnant woman in her abdomen while trying to apprehend a suspected criminal.
The incident was reported from Shibpur village under Gouripur upazila on Thursday.
Ramgopalpur Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Nabi Hossain said the suspect, Abul Hashem, had been accused in a case filed over cow theft in the area.
The officer in question, Gauripur police station Sub-Inspector (SI) Emdad, went to his house to detain him, reportedly kicking his expecting wife, Ripa Akhter, when she tried to prevent his detention.
Ripa said: “My husband was eating when the police came to arrest him. I grabbed the officer's leg, begging him not to take away my husband, but he kicked me in the abdomen and arrested him.”
She also claimed that the SI had assaulted her in-laws.
Hashem’s father, Abur Bashar Liton, said: “My daughter-in-law was kicked in the abdomen and back quite a few times by the police officer. When my wife and I tried to save her from the assault, the officer attacked us as well.”
He said Ripa had felt pain in her stomach following the officer's attack.
She was later taken to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital.
Dhaka Tribune could not reach SI Emdad for comment.
However, Gouripur police station Officer-in-Charge Abdul Halim Siddique dismissed the allegations, saying the SI had not attacked anyone.
“When SI Emdad went to arrest the suspect, his family tried to attack the police officer with a sharp weapon. However, as the place was muddy, the woman (Ripa) slipped and fell. I do not know if she is pregnant, but I have heard she was taken to a hospital,” he said.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Mostafizur Rahman echoed the OC’s statement.
“As she is pregnant, there is a chance that she felt pain in her stomach after falling. If her family files a case, we will take a look into the matter,” he added.