Zulfiqar to be quizzed in prison

A Chittagong court yesterday rejected a seven-day remand prayer for Lt Col (sacked) Zulfiqar Ali Majumder, former commanding officer of Rab-7, in a case over his alleged link in robbing Tk 2.07 crore from a Chittagong shrine.
The court, however, allowed police to interrogate Zulfiqar for 10 consecutive days inside jail.
The Judicial Magistrate's Court of SM Masud Parvez passed the order yesterday after Abdus Samad, inspector (investigation) of Anwara Police Station and also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, sought a seven-day remand, said sources in the court.
On May 3, Zulfiqar was picked up from one of his relatives' house on Daktarer Goli in the capital's Moghbazar area for his alleged involvement in the robbery at Talsara Darbar Sharif in Anwara that had taken place six months ago. He was sent to jail the following day.
Zulfiqar has already been sacked from the army as he was proved guilty in a departmental investigation.
Arguing for the remand, the IO said the accused looted Tk 2.07 crore and shared the amount with his team members.
Police earlier arrested three other accused, who gave confessional statements to a magistrate.
"The three said Zulfiqar was involved in the crime, and that is why, the accused should be remanded to reveal how they distributed the money," pleaded the IO.
Lawyers for the accused, however, argued that no incident of robbery took place at the shrine on November 4. The Rab officials went there in a routine drive and the allegation of robbery against Zulfiqar is not true.
They also argued that there was no evidence in favour of the robbery, said sources in the court.
They also said neither the Pir (spiritual leader) of the shrine nor any member of the shrine committee had lodged the case. Rather it was filed by a driver of the shrine, they argued saying if the Pir was confined at the time of robbery he should have filed a case.
Arguing against the remand prayer, the defence lawyers also demanded investigation on the source of huge amount of money that was kept in the shrine.
Hearing arguments of both the sides, the court ordered the IO to quiz Zulfiqar inside the jail. It also asked police to refrain from any kind of torture on the accused during the interrogation.
The court said during the interrogation the IO, if needed, could take five police officials from any rank of his choice with him.
The IO was also asked to submit a report on the interrogation to the court within the next 30 days.
According to the case statement, members of Rab-7 in uniforms and plainclothes on November 4 last year entered the Talsara Darbar Sharif in Anwara upazila of Chittagong and kept Pir Ahammed Safa Shah confined to a room at gunpoint.
The law enforcers broke three cupboards open, looted Tk 2.07 crore and left with the money in six travel bags.
Four months later, driver of the shrine Idris Ali filed the case accusing 10 Rab men including Zulfiqar and two of their informants.
The Rab authorities sent the 10 accused back to their former organisations after a departmental investigation found them guilty of robbery.