Police have arrested three individuals in connection with the gang-rape of a US expatriate woman in Kalapara upazila of Patuakhali.
The arrestees were identified as Muhammad Kawsar, 24, son of Abul Hossain Hawlader, of Latachapli union; Ashish Gain, 30, son of Ranjit Gain, of Kalapara municipality; and Shawkat Ahmed Ripon, alias Sohag, 25, son of Jalal Pyada, from Bamna upazila of Barguna district, said Patuakhali Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Arif Muhammad Shakur on Friday.
According to police, primary interrogation revealed that the accused had planned to enter the house on the night of the incident and subsequently carried out both the robbery and the gang rape.
Kawsar was first apprehended from the Shyamkur border area of Jhenaidah on Thursday afternoon with the assistance of information technology. Based on information he provided, Shawkat alias Sohag was later arrested from the Technical Crossing slum in Dhaka. Finally, Ashish Gain was arrested from Kalapara town.
The incident occurred on the night of July 14, when the accused reportedly robbed the American expatriate’s house, taking Tk 50,000 in cash, 13 pieces of gold jewellery, and a mobile phone. Before leaving, they confined the housewife in a room and raped her.
A case was filed the following day under the Women and Children Repression Act. ASP Arif also said the case was ongoing in court, and police operations continued to apprehend other suspects involved.
