‘Murdered Girl’ Found Alive Cops tortured 3 for fake confessions

A judicial probe committee yesterday submitted its report to the High Court saying officials of Narayanganj Sadar Police Station tortured and forced three people to give confessional statements to magistrates about raping and killing a minor girl who later turned out to be alive after 49 days last year.

Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) of Narayanganj Farhana Ferdousi submitted the probe report to the HC through its registrar's office during hearing on a revision petition filed in connection with the issue in line with its November 19, 2020 directive.

CJM Farhana Ferdousi in the report cited the statements of the three accused -- Abdullah, Khalil and Rakib -- who said that the then officer-in-charge of Narayananj Sadar Police Station Mostafizur Rahman and its Sub-inspector Shamim Al Mamun and Abdul Hye have tortured and forced them in different ways to give confessional statements.

In the conclusion of the probe report, Farhana Ferdousi, said SI Shamim Al Mamun tortured the accused after arresting them in connection with the incident.

At the same time, the judicial committee said in its inquiry report that two judicial magistrates -- Aftabuzzamam and Humayun Kabir -- have properly recorded the confessional statements from the three accused as they made the statements spontaneously.

Petitioners' lawyer Mohammad Shishir Manir, who read out the judicial probe report before the HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman, said that the contents of the probe report are seriously contradictory.

The facts behind the incident would remain unearthed if the victim child could not be found alive, he said.

The lawyer also prayed to the HC to issue some directives about interrogation of the accused and recording their confessional statements.

The HC bench then said that the accused persons might have been sentenced to death following their "confessional statements" if the victimised girl would not be found alive.

The bench asked Attorney General AM Amin Uddin to place arguments on this issue and fixed January 13 for further hearing and passing order on the matter.

According to the statement of revision petition, the Class five student went missing on July 4 last year.

Her father Jahangir Hossain filed a case with Narayanganj Sadar Model Police Station on August 6 last year on charge of abducting his daughter.