Three officials of Mirpur police are facing action after a Dhaka court found that a case they filed over theft named an 11-month-old and a dead man as suspects.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Khurshid Alam was taken by surprise when father Abul Kashem, also an accused in the case, appeared with the infant Rubel in his arms at his court on April 30.
He then ordered the investigating officer Sub-Inspector Maruful Islam to appear before the court and explain why and how Rubel and another man, Arifur Rahman, who died almost three years before the crime, came to be accused of theft.
Maruf submitted a 10-day time petition claiming to be sick and is scheduled appear in court on May 16.
On Sunday, Police Headquarters suspended the SI, and closed his superiors, Inspector (Investigation) Sazzad Hossain and the Assistant Commissioner of Mirpur circle Kazi Mahbubul Alam.
By the same order, signed by the inspector general, ASP Kazi Mahbubul was transferred to In-service Training Centre while Inspector Sazzad was transferred to Armed Police Battalion’s Mohalchhari wing, added the police official.
A divisional case will also be lodged against the three police officials, Police Headquarters’ Assistant Inspector General (Media and Public Relations) Sahely Ferdous told the Dhaka Tribune.
Police HQ had also warned the Mirpur Zone deputy commissioner and additional deputy commissioner, the AIG said.
SI Maruf submitted the charge sheet for this theft case on February 27 after eight months of probe. Including Rubel and Arif, 22 people were accused of vandalising a house and stealing Tk25,000, two gold chains and a mobile phone.
Arifur Rahman died three years before the incident while Rubel was a newborn baby at that time. The incident of unlawful gathering and theft took place at Mirpur in June last year.
The SI also claimed in the charge sheet that Rubel and Arifur were on the run and appealed to the court to issue arrest warrants and an order for confiscation of their properties.
The case’s plaintiff Habibur Rahman said: “Arifur's name was on the First Information Report (FIR) as he tried to grab my land with a fake document in 2011.
“Arifur, along with a number of goons in the area, were trying to take possession of around 28 decimal of my lands in Pirerbag of Mirpur. So I accused him. I was not aware that he had died.”
Asked why he had accused a baby boy, Habib said he had named one Rubel in the FIR but he was 30 years old.
He claimed that Rubel's father Abul Kashem was one of the attackers, hired by some locals who had long been trying to grab his land.
“I did not know many of the attackers. Some policemen, their informants, and locals identified the criminals and as per their suggestions, I accused them in the FIR,” said Habib.
“It is the duty of the police to verify who were involved in the attack and vandalism. The investigation officer did not even communicate with me before pressing the charges,” he said.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
