HC summons Madaripur OC, SI
The High Court yesterday summoned two police officers of Madaripur to appear before it for detaining and keeping two breast-feeding mothers away from their children for 13 hours.
Madaripur Sadar Police Station's Officer-in-Charge Ziaul Morshed and Sub-inspector Md Mahtab Hossain have been directed to appear on March 29 to explain their conduct.
In response to a writ petition, the court asked the inspector general of police to submit a report to it by May 9 after probing the incident, Deputy Attorney General Tapas Kumar Biswas told The Daily Star.
The HC also issued a rule asking the government to explain in four weeks as to why the police action should not be declared illegal.
Home secretary, inspector general of police (IGP), deputy IGP concerned, superintendent of police of Madaripur, OC Ziaul and SI Mahtab have been made respondents to the rule.
The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah came up with the order and rule following a writ petition filed by Advocate Rana Kawser.
Citing from reports of newspapers, Rana Kawser told reporters that SI Mahtab went to Lakkhiganj of Madaripur on March 12 to conduct an inquiry into a land-related case.
As part of the investigation, Mahtab asked for some information from Ponir Hossain, son of Khalek Bepari, but Ponir said he did not know about the issue.
Furious, SI Mahtab slapped Ponir, Rana Kawser said, adding that the SI had asked for additional police force over the phone and ransacked Ponir's house.
Police forcibly took wife of Ponir and his elder brother's wife to the police station leaving their kids -- one three months' old and another 18 months' old -- behind, which is inhumane and illegal, the lawyer said. After 13 hours of detention, police released them, the lawyer added.
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