HC orders Rangunia cops to arrest accused

The High Court yesterday directed Rangunia police to immediately arrest Shah Alam, resident of Chittagong who allegedly raped a 12-year-old girl with fake promise to marry her.

Responding to a writ petition, the court also ordered the officer-in-charge of Rangunia Police Station to take appropriate legal action against Shah Alam, reportedly an influential resident of Shilok Minagazair Tila village, and to submit a report in this regard before it by June 15. 

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The 12-year-old girl, a class-VII student, worked as a domestic help at Shah Alam's house temporarily and reportedly became pregnant a few days ago.

According to a report published on May 23 in the Independent, the victim's mother lodged a rape case with Rangunia Police Station on May 8 against Shah Alam, 55.

On May 8, police detained Shah Alam but released him and later detained the victim, her brother and mother on that night. Moreover, police made the mother of the victim sign a blank paper under duress. Rangunia police produced the victim and her brother in the court after allegedly detaining them in the police station for two days. The victim, her mother and brother alleged that police filed the rape case where the brother of the victim was shown as the rapist, the report added.

Yesterday, the HC also asked the Rangunia police to record a first information report based on the report and issued a rule upon the government to explain in four weeks why the refusal of Rangunia police to accept the case from the victim's mother should not be declared illegal.

Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua filed the petition on Sunday following the report seeking HC orders to summon the Rangunia police officials including the OC for filing a fabricated case.