PBI charges 6 for rape during robbery

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) yesterday pressed charges implicating six robbers, who raped four women of a family in Karnaphuli upazila of Chattogram in 2017. 

Inspector Sontosh Kumar Chakma of PBI Metro Circle, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet to the prosecution section of Chattogram metropolitan court, they said.

The charge sheet will be seen by the magistrate in the next date of the case, said court sources.

However, analysing the medical test report, PBI has found that only two of the women were raped during the robbery.

The six accused are -- Abu Sama, Mizan Matubbar, Jahirul Islam Howladar, Maidul Islam Howladar, Md Eliash, and Md Abdul Hannan alias Hannan Member. Five have been behind bars in the case, while Eliash is on the run since the incident.

Inspector Sontosh Chakma said during investigation, PBI found the involvement of the six robbers in the incident. They used to loot valuables from people in different areas. They committed rape in multiple looted houses.”

“According to the media reports there were four victims, but PBI in its investigation found that two were victims of rape during the robbery,” said Inspector Sontosh.

He further said that the accused were charged with both robbery and rape.

PBI dropped the names of three suspects who were arrested by Karnaphuli police after the incident from the charge sheet as their involvement could not be found during investigation, said Inspector Sontosh.

The incident occurred on December 13, 2017, in Shahmirpur village under Borouthan union of Karnaphuli upazila.

After the incident, family members of the victims alleged that the then OC of Karnaphuli Police Station, Sayedul Mostafa, refused to record the case twice.

He was compelled to record it four days later, when State Minister for Land Saifuzzaman Chowdhury Javed intervened into the matter.

After local police admitted their partial failure to arrest the accused, PBI started investigation following an order of Police Headquarters on December 27, 2017.