7 cops suspended for extortion
An assistant commissioner (AC) was closed to the Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) headquarters while seven other policemen were suspended early yesterday on charges of extorting Tk 1 lakh from a doctor the day before.
RMP Special Branch after an investigation confirmed that AC Towfiqul Islam along with the policemen Wednesday evening went to raid the house of Rafiq Basunia, a doctor, at Laxmipur in the town, accusing Rafiq of storing Indian garlic illegally.
After negotiations, the doctor gave them the money in return for an assurance that the law enforcers would not harass him anymore, says the probe report submitted to RMP Commissioner M Obaidullah yesterday.
The cops are sub-inspectors Masud Rana and Matiar Rahman of Rajpara Police Station, constables Atiqur Rahman, Golam Mortuza, Sujan and Islam Ali and driver Akter Hossain.
The commissioner said that since the AC is a first class officer, the local administration cannot take any action against him. So, the report and other relevant papers were dispatched to the Dhaka headquarters for necessary action against him.
He also said the police team had not had any permission from the authorities for searching the house. They [policemen] must have had an ill intention.
Following the incident on Wednesday, Basunia informed Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sabur about the matter and Sabur informed the commissioner.
On instructions of the commissioner, Deputy Commissioner (headquarters) Morshedul Anwar Khan and Humayun Kabir, AC of the special branch, interrogated Towfiqul and the policemen for one and a half hours at the DC's office.
The report was then submitted to the commissioner.
Basunia could not be contacted until filing of this report.
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