Cop arrested; HC weighs in
Law enforcers last night arrested Assistant Sub-inspector Abdur Rahman of Nazirpur Police Station in connection with the torture and sexual abuse of a 13-year-old madrasa girl in Nazirpur upazila of Pirojpur.
The ASI was rounded up just hours after a boy filed a case with the police station in this connection under the pornography act. A van puller, the boy was also subjected to torture by the cop for accompanying the girl to a village fair, reports our Pirojpur correspondent.
Rahman has been arrested for interrogation about the incident, said SM Akhteruzzaman, superintendent of police (SP) in Pirojpur. Action will be taken against him if he is found guilty of torturing children, added the SP.
The arrestee will be produced before a Pirojpur court today.
HC ISSUES RULE
The High Court yesterday issued a rule upon the government to explain why the abuse of power by a law enforcement agency member resulting in torture of teenagers, rape of a girl and promoting others to solemnise a child marriage at Nazirpur upazila of Pirojpur should not be declared illegal.
It came up with the order following a writ petition filed based on a report run by The Daily Star yesterday under the headline “Girl goes thru' horrific abuse”.
The report said in the afternoon of March 12, the boy and girl from Nazirpur were on their way to a village fair when Mujahidul Islam Miah Zafar's accomplices, including Mamun, Yusuf, Ezabul, Inu, Dalim, Tuku, Emran and Saiful, forcibly took the two to Rajlaxmi Health Complex.
Zafar, who was waiting there, called in police. ASI Abdur Rahman of Nazirpur Police Station came to the health complex, took the two to a room and started an obscene photo-shoot.
After harassing them for around half an hour, the cop handcuffed both, took the girl to another room and raped her.
Once the ASI was done with his nefarious act, Zafar took over. He forced the teenagers into marriage without registration. Kamruzzaman Moti, a local Jubo League leader and schoolteacher, was also present there.
The victims said Abdur Rahman released them only after extracting Tk 3,500 from their families.
After the incident drew media attention, the ASI along with Kamruzzaman and Officer-in-Charge (investigation) Md Nasiruddin of Nazirpur Police Station went to the victims' houses on Sunday and threatened them not to disclose anything, according to the report.
Yesterday, the High Court also summoned ASI Abdur Rahman, Zafar and Ashim to appear before it on April 8 to explain their roles in the incident. Ashim is a relative of the health complex owner. Rahman claimed that he had handed over the minors to Ashim.
The home secretary, inspector general of police, SP of Pirojpur, ASI Abdur Rahman, Zafar and Ashim have been made respondents to the rule.
The HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Mahmudul Hoque issued the rule after hearing the writ petition filed by rights organisation Ain O Salish Kendra seeking necessary orders from the court over the incident.
Advocate Abantee Nurul appeared for the petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Amatulk Karim represented the government.
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