Family demands SI be punished
Family members of a lady constable, who burnt herself to death over an alleged relationship with a sub-inspector (SI) of Mymensingh's Gouripur Police Station, have demanded exemplary punishment for the accused.
"We demand exemplary punishment for Sub-inspector Mizanul Islam who raped my daughter. The incident of rape instigated her suicide," alleged the constable's father freedom fighter Helal Uddin Akanda at a press conference at Mymensingh Press Club yesterday.
On April 2, Constable Halima Khatun of the police station burnt herself to death at a barrack in Gouripur allegedly over a relationship with Mizanul. Helal also alleged that Halima had informed Delwar Ahmed, officer-in-charge (OC) of the police station, in this regard, but he did not take any action.
If the OC had taken any prompt action, Halima might not have committed suicide by pouring kerosene on her body, he said. However, the OC trashed the allegations and said those are baseless.
Halima's maternal uncle Iqbal Hasan Khan read out the written statement signed by her father. Hailing from Gourakanda village in Purbadhala upazila of Netrakona district, Halima joined Gouripur Police Station three months before her death, police said. She joined her service in 2011.
Upon hearing the news that Halima set her on fire in the afternoon on April 2, her colleagues rushed to the barrack and discovered Halima with serious burn injuries.
She was immediately rushed to the burn unit of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH) but was later referred to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for better treatment. But she died on way to Dhaka.
Soon after the incident, Mizanul was closed to Mymensingh Police Lines and he was shown arrested after Halima's father filed a case against him on April 3, the OC added. He was shown arrested in the case and was produced before a Mymensingh court that sent him to jail on April 4, said the official. Then, a three-member probe body, headed by SA Newaji, additional police superintendent of Mymensingh (North), was formed to investigate the incident.
Contacted, Newaji yesterday said they are waiting for a medical report to be sure if Halima was raped.
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