HC wants list of victims in custody

The High Court yesterday directed the inspector general (prisons) to submit to it by July 12 a list of women who are now in different types of custody across the country as victims of rape, abduction, acid throwing and any other criminal activity.
An HC bench gave the directive after recording the statement of a woman reportedly violated by a Jubo League leader in Rangpur last month.
The bench comprised of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury Manik and Justice Md Delwar Hossain recorded her statement in their court chamber.
The woman was produced before the HC bench as per its earlier order.
Superintendent of Police (SP) of Rangpur Saleh Md Tanvir and Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kawnia Police Station in the district Krishna Kumar Saha were ordered to do so.
On June 8, the court gave the order following a writ petition filed by three Supreme Court lawyers --Mahbub Shafique, KM Hafizul Alam and Imranul Hye Sajib -- on the basis of a June 4 report in the daily Jugantor.
The report said local Jubo League leader Md Bullet Miah of Kawnia upazila violated the 22-year-old woman, keeping her confined for 10 days last month.
The HC bench yesterday ordered the SP and OC to produce the victim before the chief judicial magistrate of Rangpur this morning for recording her statement, and immediately send her to her mother's custody in Dhaka by today.
The court asked the commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police to ensure security of the victim and her mother in Dhaka.
It also asked the SP and OC concerned to arrest Bullet Miah, and submit a report to it in this regard by July 12.
Chief Judicial Magistrate of Rangpur OHM Elias Hossain also appeared before the HC bench as ordered earlier, and said he had sent the woman to jail custody on May 31 as the court did not get any guardian for her instantly.
Chairman of forensic medicine department at Rangpur Medical College Dr Mostaque Rahim, who also appeared before the court as ordered, said he mentioned in his medical report on the victim that no sperm was found inside her body since she was checked up much later.
The court fixed July 15 for further order on the matter.
The victim was under the custody of Barrister Sara Hossain after she was produced in the court.
The petitioners, Deputy Attorney General Nazrul Islam Talukder and Sara Hossain were present during the recording of the victim's statement.