OC Pradeep sued over two more murders
Suspended officer-in-charge Pradeep Kumar Das and some others were accused in two more murder cases filed with a Cox's Bazar court yesterday.
Judge of Senior Judicial Magistrate Court-3 (Teknaf) Md Helal Uddin took the complaints into cognisance and asked the OC of Teknaf Police Station to submit the reports of the incidents before the court.
Pradeep, who was the OC of Teknaf Police Station, was suspended in connection with the murder of Major (retd) Sinha Md Rashed Khan.
Shahina Akhter, of Khraingakhali village in Teknaf upazila, lodged the first complaint yesterday.
In her complaint, she said police on February 27 set her husband's elder brother's house on fire. Later, police arrested her 85-year-old father-in-law and sister-in-law (wife of her brother) and they were then sent to jail in a yaba case.
On March 5, her husband Musa Akbar held a press conference at Cox's Bazar Press Club, demanding release of the arrestees.
On March 28, police picked up Musa and then demanded Tk 20 lakh from his family members to release him. The family members gave them Tk 3 lakh. But Musa was shot dead around 11:45pm that day, the complainant said.
The court asked the OC of Teknaf Police Station to submit the report of the incident within 10 working days.
The second complaint was filed by Hafez Ahmed, of Kanjarpara village in the same upazila, against 26 persons, including Pradeep. Of them, 25 are police personnel.
Judge Helal took the complaint into cognisance and asked the OC of Teknaf Police Station to submit the report of the incident in 15 working days.
In his complaint, Hafez said police picked up his younger brother Sahab Uddin on April 17. Later, police demanded Tk 5 lakh from them to free him. They gave police Tk 50,000. But Sahab Uddin was shot dead in the early hours of April 21 in a paddy field in Kanjarpara area.
With yesterday's two complaints, seven complaints have so far been lodged against police personnel, including Pradeep, over killing people.
Meanwhile, three accused in Major (retd) Sinha Md Rashed Khan murder case gave their confessional statements before another Cox's Bazar court yesterday.
They are: Nurul Amin, Nizam Uddin, and Ayas Uddin of Marishbania village.
Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Khairul Islam, who works at Rab, also the investigation officer of the case, produced the three before the court around 10:00am.
Tamanna Farah, judge of Senior Judicial Magistrate Court-4 in Cox's Bazar, recorded their statements, said Khairul.
The trio were arrested by Rab on August 11. They gave their confessional statements while they were on a three-day remand in the third phase.
With them, eight of the 13 accused in the murder case, filed by the victim's elder sister Sharmin Sharia Ferdous, have so far given their confessional statements.
Five others are: key accused suspended inspector Liakat Ali and suspended sub-inspector Nandadulal Rakshit, and suspended APBN members Shajahan, Rajib and Mohammad Abdullah.
Another prime accused Pradeep was placed on 15 days' remand in phases. But he is yet to give his confessional statement.
In another development, the probe committee members interrogated Pradeep in connection with the Major (retd) Sinha murder case.
The four-member committee, formed by the home ministry, reached Cox's Bazar jail yesterday morning and started recording Pradeep's statement around 11:00am, according to sources at the jail.
Meanwhile, Army Chief General Aziz Ahmed yesterday said like the people of the country, Bangladesh Army also wants exemplary punishment in the Major (retd) Sinha murder case.
The army chief made the statement in Chattogram, said an ISPR press release.