ASI Shoumen confesses to triple murder
Police Assistant Sub-Inspector Shoumen Kumar Roy, accused of triple murder, yesterday confessed in a local court to committing the crime.
He told the court that he carried out the killing out of anger. He, however, regretted killing a 7-year-old child.
Shoumen made the confessional statement to Kushtia Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Rezaul Karim from 1:30pm to 4:30pm, said Nishikant Saha, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Kushtia Model Police Station, and also the investigation officer of the two cases filed in connection with the incident.
The court recorded the statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The judge later sent the accused to jail.
Kushtia Additional Superintendent of Police (Special Branch) Farhad Hossain Khan said the ASI was produced before the court in connection with two murder cases filed over Sunday's triple murder.
Shoumen shot dead Asma, 25, her son Robin, 7, and Shakil Khan, 26, in front of the customs office in Kushtia town around 11:45am on Sunday.
The accused in his confessional statement claimed himself to be Asma's husband. He said he married her two years ago.
The ASI said he would submit the evidence of the marriage to the court in due time.
Shoumen said he wanted to take Asma to Khulna, but she did not agree. This angered him.
The accused also suspected that Asma was in a relationship with Shakil and that's why she was following his advice.
The ASI told the magistrate that he on Sunday repeatedly enquired Asma about her relationship with Shakil, an agent of digital money transfer platform bKash. As she kept mum, he pulled a pistol and opened fire.
He claimed he did not want to kill the minor boy, but it happened at one stage.
The cop also admitted that he left his workplace without permission. He said he carried with him his service pistol and bullets.
Hailing from Magura's Asba village, the ASI was working at Fultala Police Station in Khulna. He once worked in Kushtia.
Shakil's father Mejbar Rahman filed a murder case with Kushtia Model Police Station on Sunday night. Asma's mother Hasina Khatun filed the other murder case that night. Shoumen was named as the only accused in both the cases.
Asma, who hailed from Naturia in Kushtia's Kumarkhali upazila, used to live in Kushtia town. Shakil was from Sawnta village in Kushtia's Kumarkhali upazila.
Police on Sunday said they were not sure about the relationship between the three dead.
"As Shoumen has claimed in the court that Asma is his wife, police have nothing to say about it," said Additional Superintendent of Police Farhad.
Asma's family members claimed that she met Shoumen when the latter was working in Kushtia. The ASI married her two years ago, they added.
Khulna Superintendent of Police Mahbub Hasan said the ASI was suspended and departmental action would be taken against him. He went to Kushtia Sunday morning without taking a leave of absence.
An investigation committee was formed as per the directive of the DIG (Khulna Range) of police to probe Shoumen's leaving the workplace without permission and carrying the firearm.
Police sources said Shoumen was promoted to ASI from constable in 2015. The following year, he joined Kumarkhali Police Station in Kushtia. He later worked in some other police stations of the district.
Meanwhile, the bodies of the victims were handed to their families yesterday afternoon after autopsies.
The three were buried at their respective villages following namaz-e-janazas.