A robbery was reportedly carried out in Gazipur’s Sreepur late Tuesday night, where miscreants blocked the road with a tree, attacked two Palli Bidyut employees and looted their motorcycle, phones, and cash. Police, however, denied that a robbery had taken place.
According to locals, the incident occurred around 10:45pm near the Shimlapara Palli Bidyut complaint center on the Maona-Kaliakoir road.
Faruk Ahmed, a lineman at the center, confirmed the matter on Wednesday. The victims were identified as Niranjan Mondal, 50, in-charge of the complaint center, and Touhidul Islam, 38, a grade-1 lineman. Both received treatment at the Sreepur Upazila Health Complex.
Faruk said the two officials had left the office around 9:45pm Tuesday to address complaints in Singdighi and Bailabari villages under Maona union. On their return, 10 to 12 unidentified robbers ambushed them near Hasikhali Bridge, placing a tree across the road. The assailants assaulted them, dragged them into the nearby sal forest, tied them to a tree, and looted an official TVS motorcycle, one office-issued Android phone, and two personal mobile phones.
The robbers fled around 5am, leaving the victims bound in the forest, where locals later rescued them.
When contacted at 12pm Wednesday, Sub-Inspector Mizanur Rahman, in charge of the Maona (Chakpara) police camp, said: “I had no knowledge of such a robbery in Shimlapara until you (journalists) informed me. However, I am looking into the matter.”
Engineer Shantanu Roy, deputy general manager (DGM) of the Maona zonal office of Mymensingh Palli Bidyut Samity, said: “The office has already filed a written complaint in this regard. The victims are also preparing to lodge a separate complaint with the police.”
However, Sreepur police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Muhammad Abdul Bari gave a different version: “A police mobile team was on duty along that road. From what I have learned, there was no robbery. A motorcycle and a mobile phone were snatched. If a complaint is filed, we will register a case accordingly.”
