Judiciary, cops start probe into torture on Santals
Two teams from the judiciary and the police have started investigation into the killing of three Santal men and torture on the community in Gobindaganj upazila under the district during eviction drives at Sahebganj farm belonging to Rangpur Sugar Mills on November 6 and 7.
A team of Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), led by Akhter Hossain, additional superintendent of police of Bogra, and a judicial investigation committee led by Mohammed Shahidullah, chief judicial magistrate of Gaibandha, visited Madarpur and Joypurpara Santal villages in Gobindaganj yesterday as part of the investigations following a High Court order.
The PBI team reached Madarpur at 10:00am and gave a patience hearing as the evicted Santals narrated the incidents of killing and torture on their people, and looting and setting fire to their houses during the eviction drive.
The PBI team later visited Sahebganj sugarcane farm area.
"We have started investigation, visiting the areas and talking to Santals and other locals. On completion of the investigation, report will be submitted to the higher authorities concerned," head of team told the journalists.
Chief Judicial Magistrate Mohammed Shahidullah accompanied by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Moinul Hasan Yousuf reached Madarpur at 11:00am.
They visited the spots of eviction and damaged houses and talked to the affected Santal families of Madarpur and Joypurpara villages. The committee collected pieces of evidence of the incident from the spot.
"I started investigation as per order of the High Court. The investigation will run by turns and the report will be duly submitted to the High Court," the chief juridical magistrate said.
On November 6 and 7, clashes involving farm labourers, Santals and police at Sahebganj farm centring the policemen's eviction drive against Santals from the area left three Santal men killed and 30 people including nine policemen injured. During the eviction, arson and looting of Santal's houses took place.
On November 17, one Swapan Murmu of Rampura village filed a case against 600 unknown accused. On November 26, Thomas Hambrom filed another FIR accusing 33 named persons including lawmaker Principal Abul Kalam Azad, president of upazila unit of Awami League, and 600 unknown others.
Demanding justice for killing of Santal men, and looting and arson attack on the houses of Santals, and return of their ancestral lands, the community people undertook different programmes including procession.
Earlier on July 1, some 1500 Santal families from different areas occupied over a hundred acres of land at Sahebganj sugarcane farm, claiming it to be their forefather's property.
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