‘Crossfire Threat’: Expatriate sues 5 B’baria cops for extorting money

Five policemen, including two sub-inspector of Brahmanbaria's Akhaura Police Station, have been sued yesterday for extorting Tk 90,000 from an expatriate by "threatening to kill him in crossfire".

Harun Mia, a resident of Masjid Para in Akhaura municipality, filed the case with a Brahmanbaria court against sub-inspectors Matiur Rahman and Humayun Kabir, Assistant SI Khorshed, constables Prashanto Sarkar and Md Saikat.

"Taking the case into cognisance, the court asked Brahmanbaria police superintendent to investigate and submit a report within 30 working days," said Harun's lawyer Gulam Sarwar Khokon.

Citing the case statement, Sarwar said, "Harun's neighbour Hasina Prakash Chikuni Begum, wife of Kalam Miah, and her daughters Tania and Tanzina are involved in drug dealing."

Hasina threatened Harun and his family members for obstructing their drug trade. Around 1:30am on May 25, a team of police, including SI Matiur and Humayun, went to Harun's house and started searching and also tortured him physically and mentally, the lawyer said.

"They demanded Tk one lakh or else they would kill him in a shootout by framing him as a drug dealer," the lawyer said.

The police personnel also took Tk 40,000 in cash from the house and ransacked the furniture, he said.

The policemen later extorted Tk 50,000 from Harun for "making the matter go away", added the lawyer.

Plaintiff Harun told The Daily Star that he could not stay at home fearing "he would be killed in crossfire".

District Superintendent of Police Anisur Rahman earlier said he received a complaint regarding the matter and that steps would be taken after a probe. 

This paper tried to reach SP Anisur and Additional Superintendent of Police Roish Uddin over phone after the case was filed. They did not pick up the phones or respond to texts.

Hasina or her family could not be reached either.

SI Matiur told The Daily Star that the accusation were false and nothing like that had happened.

SI Humayun described the allegation as a conspiracy.