Rape accused killed in Noakhali ‘gunfight’

The prime accused in a gang rape case was killed in a "gunfight" with police in Noakhali early yesterday.

The dead, Akram Hosen, 25, was from Uttar Manikpur village in the district's Senbagh upazila.

Akram's family alleged that he was shot dead around 27 hours after his arrest. Law enforcers, however, denied the allegation.

OC Abdul Baten Mridha of Senbagh Police Station said Akram and his cohorts kidnapped a 19-year-old intellectually disabled woman from in front of her home in Uttar Manikpur village on June 6.

They took her to a nearby graveyard and gang-raped her.

Five days later, the victim's mother filed a case with the police station accusing 10 people in this connection. Akram was named the prime accused in the case, the OC said.

Around 2:00am yesterday, a police team launched a drive in Uttar Manikpur village on information that Akram and his cohorts were staying there.

Sensing the presence of law enforcers, the criminals opened fire at cops. Police fired retaliatory shots, triggering a "gunfight", the OC said.

After about 15 minutes, the criminals backed off and escaped the area, leaving bullet-hit Akram behind.

Police rushed the injured to Noakhali General Hospital where doctors declared him dead. Three cops were wounded during the "gunfight", police claimed.

Akram's sister Aklima Aktar said Cox's Bazar police picked up her brother from her home in the district on Thursday night.

"Police later took him to Uttar Manikpur village in Noakhali and staged the gunfight there about 27 hours after his arrest," Aklima said.

Senbagh police also claimed to have recovered a gun, a Chinese machete, and six bullet shells from the spot. They filed two cases in connection with the incident.

 On June 15, a suspect of another rape case, Mizanur Rahman, 40, was killed in a "gunfight" with police in the same upazila.