5 more held over Jewel’s murder
Five more people were arrested yesterday over the brutal killing of Abu Yunus Md Shahidunnabi Jewel in Lalmonirhat five days ago.
They were picked up from their homes in Burimari village of the district's Patgram upazila between 12:00am and 6:00am.
Among the arrestees are three people who were accused in the murder case. The two others were identified from video footage taken during the incident, said Suman Kumar Mohanta, OC of Patgram Police Station.
He, however, did not disclose the names of the five.
Meanwhile, police yesterday produced five other arrestees before a local court seeking remand for five days each in the murder case.
The five -- Rafique Iskam, 20, Ashraful Alam, 22, Bayezid Islam, 24, Masum Ali, 35, and Shafiqul Islam, 25, -- were arrested on Saturday. They all are from Burimari village of Patgram.
Lalmonirhat Senior Judicial Magistrate Ferdousi Begum would hear the remand prayers today, said Mahmuddunnabi, inspector of Detective Branch of police and also the investigation of the murder case.
The arrestees were later sent to jail.
Jewel, 50, from Shalban Mistripara area of Rangpur city was beaten up and burnt to death by a mob in Burimari village on Thursday evening over a rumour about desecrating the Holy Quran.
A graduate from Dhaka University, Jewel worked as a librarian at Rangpur Cantonment Public School and College.
Patgram OC Sumon said Burimari Jame Mosque imam Syed Ali and muazzin Afiz Uddin submitted written statements to the investigation team, formed by the district administration, yesterday. Some witnesses also filed written statements with the committee.
The OC said the mosque's khadem (caretaker), Jobed Ali, was under police watch.
Speaking to The Daily Star yesterday, the imam said he saw some people, led by Hossain Ali, owner of a local decorator store, beating up two men in front of the mosque. He said he did not see Jewel desecrating the Holy Quran.
The muazzin said he saw Jewel talking to the khadem inside the mosque. Later, some people, led by Hossain Ali, beat up Jewel in front of the mosque, he added.
Hossain Ali, an accused in the murder case filed by Jewel's cousin on Saturday, is on the run.
Two more cases were lodged with Patgram Police Station on the same day in connection with the incident. One was filed by police over obstructing their duties and assaulting law enforcers and the other by the Burimari Union Parishad chairman over vandalising and torching his office.