Accused ex-UP man on remand

A court here yesterday granted a one-day remand for the former UP member Mohsin Akon held on charge of instigating Shirin Akhtar, a 15-year old girl, to commit suicide after a village arbitration on August 19.
Earlier on Saturday evening, police arrested the UP member who led the arbitration in Charmuguria area of the district while the other accused remained absconding.
On August 16, Shirin Akhtar, a Dakhil student of Barail Bari Dakhil Madrasa in Aoj village, had an altercation with neighbour Shah Alam after her goat damaged his plants and at one stage Shah Alam beat her up mercilessly.
The day after the incident, Shirin's mother Hazera Khatun complained to the village elders.
Later, on August 19, Mohsin along with 10 to 12 other villagers including Akkas Bepari, Akkas Chowkidar and Rashid Akand held an arbitration to settle the matter where they found Shirin guilty and ordered her to beg pardon of Shah Alam by touching his feet.
As the girl protested, they compelled her to obey their decision by beating her up in front of the villagers.
Fuming over the insult, Shirin hanged herself from the ceiling of their house within half an hour of the arbitration.
After the autopsy on Saturday afternoon, Shirin's mother Hazera Khatun filed a case with Sadar police station under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act accusing 12 people.