Stalkers roam free after maiming man
Stalkers, who beat up a father of two daughters severely leading to amputation of both of his legs, often show up at the Jhenidah home of the girls at night and threaten to burn younger girl's face with acid if the cases filed against them were not withdrawn, alleged the girl.
This went on while police kept claiming that they were yet to find the stalkers.
In this situation, the High Court yesterday directed Jhenidah police to arrest the accused in two cases filed in connection with stalking two girls and injuring their father, Shahanur Alam, 52.
It also asked Jhenidah superintendent of police and the officer-in-charge of Kaliganj Police Station to submit a report about the arrest before the court by November 27.
The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order in a suo moto move after a report was published by Bangla daily Prothom Alo yesterday under the headline -- Dui pa gechhe, ekhon bhitechhara howar bhoy (two legs have gone, now in fear of being evicted from home).
“They come [to our home] at night and tell me to ask my parents to withdraw the case filed against them or else suffer acid burns on my face,” the terrified girl, a student of class-VII, told our Jhenidah correspondent yesterday.
The girl, frightened by the threat, have stopped going to school while her older brother left home in fear.
Asked about it, Aminul Islam, officer-in-charge of Kaliganj Police Station, said he was not aware of the developments. The accused went into hiding, and police were looking for them, he said.
On October 16, Shahanur was beaten up with iron rods allegedly by Kamal Hossain, secretary of Nalbhanga union unit Jubo League, and also a UP member, and six others because Shahanur complained to leaders of Nalbhanga village in Kaliganj that a gang, led by Kamal, was stalking his daughters.
His legs had to be amputated on November 6.
His brother-in-law Eakub Ali filed a case in this connection with the Jhenidah court on October 18 as Kaliganj police refused to record it there.
According to the case statement, prime accused Kamal and his associates -- Billal Hossain, Jahid Hossain, Imdadul Haque, Tuku Mia, Hasan Ali and Motaleb Hossain -- waylaid and attacked Shahanur.
Shahanur's brother Shamaul Islam lodged another case for attempted murder with Kaliganj Police Station on November 9.
Seeking anonymity, some locals of Nalbhanga said Kamal was a drug dealer. He was arrested with phensidyl bottles and an illegal motorcycle in 2014. He was also arrested with arms before his arrest in 2014.
FAMILY FEARS WORSE
Under treatment at the National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (Nitor) in the capital, Shahanur expressed fear of losing his home.
“I'm terrified, thinking that they [stalkers] will attack my younger daughter any moment,” he said while talking to The Daily Star.
He added that his brother Shamaul had already received a threat on his life.
Shahanur's eldest daughter, who was at the hospital, said she was a first-year student of Jessore Mohila College but quit studying a couple of years ago due to “excessive” stalking on her way to the college, located some 20km from her home.
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