Paltan police sought a seven-day remand to interrogate former BRTC chairman Toymur Alam Khondaker in connection with a cheating case while detained former state minister Amanullah Aman and his wife Sabera Aman were shown arrested in an extortion case.

Proceedings of an arms case against former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar were adjourned yesterday, as the jail authorities could not produce him due to his illness.

SIGMA SHOWN ARRESTED
Sigma, wife of barrister Nazmul Huda, was shown arrested in two extortion cases filed with Tejgaon and Shahbagh police stations.

Huda and Alena Khan were also sued in the same cases.

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's (CMM) Court, Dhaka passed the order after the investigation officers (IOs) submitted separate petitions to show Sigma arrested.

Sub-inspectors (SIs) Yusuf Ali and Akher Morshed, also the IOs of the cases, said Sigma was sent to jail on Thursday after she appeared before a special court. So, she needs to be shown arrested in the case.

According to the case filed with Tejgaon Police Station on June 26, Huda called Wahidur Rahman Azad, a contractor of the Roads and Highways (R&H) Department, to BSEHR (Bangladesh Society for Enforcement of Human Rights) office in February 2003 and demanded Tk 10 lakh in cash.

Huda also gave an alternative to Azad, asking him to construct a conference room for the organisation.

Azad said he agreed to build the conference room due to continuous pressure from Huda and it cost him Tk 5.5 lakh.

On completion of the work in three months, Azad demanded the money he spent for the work from Huda, Sigma and Alena.

They threatened to create problem in getting his payments from the R&H department if he demanded the money, alleged the plaintiff.

Huda is a member of the national committee of the BSEHR, Sigma is its secretary general and Alena Khan is its executive director.

According to the first information report (FIR) of another case filed with Shahbagh Police Station on the same date, Huda and his wife gave the plaintiff a verbal instruction to construct a boundary wall and a one-storey building for the BSEHR on College Road.

Later, Azad got a work order through a letter signed by Alena Khan on July 7, 2005 and completed the work at a cost of Tk 41.26 lakh.

When Azad went to submit the bill, Alena asked him to submit a bill between Tk 18 and 20 lakh.

Azad submitted a bill of Tk 19.71 lakh, which he said has not been paid yet.

PINTU'S BAIL REJECTED
Judge Mohammad Azizul Haq of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, Dhaka yesterday rejected the bail petition of Pintu in connection with a case filed for killing Mohammad Ali, son of a DCC ward commissioner in December last year.

The order came after Pintu's lawyers submitted a petition seeking bail against the rejection order of the lower court on March 13.

Pintu was shown arrested in the case on March 7 following a petition submitted by IO Rezaul Karim saying the former BNP lawmaker was directly involved in the killing.

A group of miscreants killed Ali at Soarighat of old Dhaka on December 28 last year.

TOYMUR CASE
SI Arshed Ali of Paltan police yesterday sought a seven-day remand to interrogate the former BRTC chairman.

The CMM's Court fixed Wednesday for hearing on the remand prayer and directed the authorities concerned to produce him before the court on that date.

Mohammad Fazlul Haque, a leader of Dhaka Light Vehicles and CNG-Autorickshaw Owners and Workers Association, filed the case on Thursday with Paltan Police Station.

In the case statement, the complainant mentioned that in May, 2003 the accused pressurised him to include 50 fake names in the list of 200 deprived petrol-run autorickshaw drivers who were entitled to get CNG autorickshaws.

Fazlul also alleged that later Toymur took the 50 CNG autorickshaws.

Joint forces arrested Toymur on April 18 from his Gulshan residence.

AMAN-SABERA SHOWN ARRESTED
Aman and Sabera were shown arrested yesterday in an extortion case filed with Gulshan Police Station on June 26.

The CMM's Court passed the order after SI Afzal Hossain, also the IO of the case, submitted a petition to show them arrested in the case.

Khorshed Alam, owner of Tanzir Constructions, filed the Tk 70 lakh extortion case against Aman and Sabera.

In the case, Alam alleged that Aman demanded Tk 2 crore for winning him the work of Dhaleshwari Bridge in December 2005. He deposited Tk 70 lakh in Sabera's account.

BABAR CASE
Judge Sayed Jahed Mansur of the Special Tribunal-9 adjourned the proceedings of the arms case against Babar until Sunday.

Earlier on July 2, Babar was not produced before the court on the same ground.

The case was filed against Babar for possessing illegal firearms and ammunition.

Mehedi Hasan, son-in-law of Orion Group Chairman Obaidul Karim, was sent to jail yesterday after he was produced before the CMM's Court showing him arrested under 16(2) of Emergency Power Rules, 2007.

In the forwarding report, SI Helaluddin of Gulshan Police Station mentioned that Mehedi illegally used a sport utility vehicle (SUV) of the detained former state minister Fazlur Rahman Patal.

Moreover, Mehedi amassed a huge wealth through corruption. So, he needs to be confined in jail until the investigation completes, the IO added.

Joint forces arrested Mehedi at his house in Banani on Saturday and seized the SUV.

Patal, now detained, allegedly sold the Lexus SUV in 2004 to Mehedi, managing director of Hashem Real Estate, before using it for three years, which was mandatory for lawmakers buying vehicles under the duty-free vehicle purchase privilege.

Meanwhile, our Munshiganj correspondent reported that former communications minister Nazmul Huda was produced before a magistrate court yesterday in connection with three separate graft cases.

The court fixed dates for producing Huda before the court on different dates after July 22.

Executive Engineer of Munshiganj Roads and Highways Department (RHD) Piar Mohammad filed a Tk 16.60 crore graft case against Huda on June 10.

The two other graft cases involving Tk 4.53 crore and Tk 4.5 crore were filed by Taibur Rahman, deputy assistant engineer of RHD in Srinagar, and caretaker engineer of RHD in Dhaka, respectively.