Dhaka cop, who shot man branding mugger falsely, held
A sub-inspector of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station in Dhaka who allegedly shot a man due to personal grudge and later framed the victim as a mugger has been arrested.
SI Anwar Hossain had extra-marital affair with victim Shah Alam's wife and was angry with him as he moved to take back his wife to his home, according to an investigation by The Daily Star.
A private car driver, Alam -- shot in both the legs -- is now undergoing treatment at National Institute of Traumatology & Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (Nitor).
"Golam Mostafa, brother of the victim, lodged a case with Sher-e-Bangla Police Station today (Wednesday). SI Anwar was arrested immediately," Wahidul Islam, additional deputy commissioner of Tejgaon division police told The Daily Star.
The officer-in-charge of the Sher-e-Bangla Police Station was also transferred today to the detective unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, the police official said.
According to account of victim Shah Alam, he was picked up by SI Anwar from the capital's Mohammadpur area on Sunday night. "I was handcuffed and taken to Taltola. Anwar then shot me in the legs."
Alam told The Daily Star he went to Krishi Market area of Mohammadpur to discuss on an "extramarital affair" issue regarding his ex-wife and SI Anwar.
He was then allegedly picked up and shot by SI Anwar who later said that Shah Alam was found injured after a "gunfight" with muggers in Taltola area. An illegal firearm and some bullets were said to have been seized from his possession.
Alam recently discovered his wife's “extramarital affair” with SI Anwar, allege his family members.
He also came to know that his wife, who left him around one and a half years ago, has been staying at a Keraniganj house rented by the sub-inspector, they added.
Talking to this correspondent at the hospital yesterday, Alam said he went to Mohammadpur Krishi Market area around 10:00pm on Sunday following a phone call from one Siraj, an acquaintance of both Alam and Anwar.
Alam, who was then at his brother's at Bashbari, was asked to come to Krishi Market right away for an urgent discussion about his wife and Anwar.
“As I reached the area, Anwar picked me up. He blindfolded me and handcuffed me behind the back.” There were a few others with the officer, he said.
“He [Anwar] then took me to Taltola, forced me to lie on the ground and shot in my legs,” he said. “He first shot in my right leg then left leg.”
Police, however, claimed the injured is a “mugger” and they detained him during a raid and recovered an illegal firearm and three bullets from his possession.
“Police had information that some muggers were gathering at Taltola to carry out mugging. As he and his team reached the area, the muggers started firing on them, prompting police to retaliate,” SI Anwar told The Daily Star on Monday.
At one stage, the criminals started falling back and police found injured Alam lying on the ground, he said.
SI Anwar said he knew the couple as Alam used to drive a car at Mohammadpur Police Station. Police gave him the job to use him as a source to nab other muggers.
According to family members, Alam has been living alone since separation with his wife.
In September, the sub-inspector posing as a businessman rented a flat in Keraniganj for Alam's wife, said the building's caretaker.
He even introduced the woman as his wife. Her parents, who live in the area, also met the caretaker and said the flat was being rented for their “daughter and son-in-law”.
Mofazzal, the caretaker and also security guard, said the woman too lied to him. “When I asked about the details about the family, she told me that her husband [Anwar] is a motor parts trader in Mohammadpur.”
Anwar used to visit the flat almost every day, and his every stay was for three to four hours. He stopped going there after locals learnt about his true occupation from Alam early this month.
A week before Eid-ul-Azha, Alam told some influential locals that the woman living in the flat on the third floor of the six-storey under-construction building is his wife.
“He sought our help to make her go back to him,” said an influential local, whishing not to be named.
The woman and her parents trashed Alam's claim, saying he is just a mugger, he said. Pressed further, the parents changed their stand and admitted that Alam is their son-in-law.
“They then agreed to sit for arbitration and we fixed October 17 for it.”
Alam went to attend the arbitration as per the schedule but it did not take place as the woman and her parents did not show up. The locals then fixed another date.
Alam's wife refused to say anything when this correspondent approached her for comments at the flat yesterday afternoon.
Later, when the reporter was talking to locals, three to four persons riding on two motorbikes turned up and warned every one not to discuss the issue further. They also asked whether any journalist came to the area.
Locals, however, didn't reveal the reporter's identity.
Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Alam further said he had wanted to disclose the “extramarital affair” to Anwar's wife. The police officer and his wife live in Mohammadpur.
It might have angered the SI, the victim said at the hospital.
The arbitration called by locals at Keraniganj was another reason behind the shooting, he added.
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