Cop 'embarks on' ominous act
A resident of Mohanagar Residential Area in the city's West Rampura on Thursday alleged that the officer-in-charge (OC) of Rampura Police Station took a bribe of Tk 1.70 lakh from him by threatening to implicate him in false cases.
The complainant Altaf Hossain, an expatriate worker in Japan, lodged the complaint with the office of inspector general of police.
Altaf in his complaint said over the last one and a half months OC Ali Ahmed Hasmi realised the money in four phases. Altaf said he had recorded all his conversations with the OC on his cell phone and a copy of which on a compact disc (CD) was sent to The Daily Star office.
As the OC came to know about the complaint he sent his two assistant sub-inspectors (ASI) -- Habib and Rob -- to Altaf's house. The two ASIs called Altaf out of his house and took him to a nearby restaurant where the ASIs forced Altaf to sign a paper without letting him know what it was about, Altaf told The Daily Star yesterday afternoon at his residence.
Contacted, OC Ali denied the allegation and said Altaf himself came to the police station and signed the paper that says that Altaf did not bring any allegation against the OC.
The cellphone conversation recorded on the CD goes: “Bhai I did not give you less ------ in phases I have given you Tk 1.70 lakh and I will give you Tk 20 thousand more; please let it be over.”
In reply the person from the other end said, “I didn't save the amount you have given me; I had to spend all of it --- don't mention about the amount--I helped you as a brother; if I had not been here you would have to suffer a lot ---- do you know that Tuhin (adversary of Altaf) offered me lakhs of taka? I did not take it ---- come tomorrow I will settle the matter.”
Aftaf claimed the conversation was between him and OC Ali Ahmed Hasmi.
Altaf said the OC took the chance of a feud between him and one of his tenants Anwarul Kadir Tuhin living on the third floor of Altaf's four-storey building.
“I sold a flat to Tuhin for Tk 36 lakh in March, 2008 but Tuhin took control of my flat by paying me only Tk 9 lakh. The rest of the money has remained unpaid since then,” Altaf said.
“The OC called me to the police station around one and a half months ago and asked me to settle the feud. The OC demanded Tk 50 thousand from me. I then agreed and handed over the amount to the OC at a Chinese restaurant near the TV centre at Rampura,” he said.
As the OC threatened to implicate him in false cases Altaf gave him Tk1.20 lakh more in three phases, he added.
Contacted, the OC said it was a conspiracy against him as he was performing well in curbing crimes in the area.
“I tried to settle the long-standing feud between Altaf and Tuhin but now it appears to be affecting me,” the OC said.
Contacted, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner AKM Shahidul Hoque said, “We are investigating it and it will take time to unearth the fact behind the incident.”
During a visit to the area locals seeking anonymity said very often they would see police cars in front of Altaf's house.
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