Rape accused killed in Noakhali ‘gunfight’

The prime accused in a case filed for the gang-rape of a mentally challenged girl in Noakhali was killed in a gunfight earlier today, police said.

The deceased was identified as Akram Hosen (25), reports our Noakhali correspondent quoting police.

Akram and his cohorts kidnapped the 19-year-old victim from in front of her home at Uttar Manikpur village in Senbagh upazila on June 6, said Abdul Baten Mridha, officer-in-charge (OC) of Senbagh Police Station.

They took her to a nearby graveyard and gangraped her. The victim's mother filed a case with the police station on June 11 against 10 people in this regard, the OC said, adding that Akram was the prime accused in the case.

Based on a tip-off that Akram and his cohorts were in North Manikpur village, a team of police conducted a drive there around 2am.

"Sensing police presence", the criminals opened fire targeting the law enforcers, forcing police to retaliate ensuing in a gunfight, the OC claimed.

After 10-15 minutes into the gunfight, the criminals started backing off, leaving the bullet-hit Akram behind.

Police rescued and rushed him to Noakhali General Hospital where doctors declared him dead.

Three police officials were also injured during the incident, police claimed.

However, the deceased's sister, Aklima Aktar, refuted police's claims and said Cox's Bazar police arrested Akram from her place in the district on Thursday night.

"Then police took him to North Manikpur village in Noakhali and staged the gunfight after 27 hours of arrest," Aklima alleged.

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