7 DB personnel get 12 yrs for kidnapping businessman for ransom in Cox’s Bazar

A Cox's Bazar court today (September 20, 2022) sentenced seven DB personnel to 12 year's imprisonment in a case over kidnapping a businessman and extorting Tk 17 lakh ransom from him on October 24, 2017.

Cox's Bazar District and Sessions Court Senior Judge Mohammad Ismail delivered the verdict in a packed courtroom in presence of the convicts, reports our Cox's Bazar staff correspondent quoting Faridul Alam, public prosecutor of Sessions Court.

The court also fined the convicts Tk 3 lakh each, in default of which the convicts have to serve two more years in jail.

The convicts are sub-inspectors of Cox's Bazar district DB police Md Abul Kalam Azad, Md Moniruzzaman, assistant sub-inspectors Md Golam Mostafa, Md Firoz, Alauddin, and constables Mostafa Azam and Al Amin.

According to the case document, on October 24, 2017, seven members of Cox's Bazar DB Police kidnapped businessman Md Abdul Gafur, 32, son of late Hossain Ahmed, a resident of Dakshin Jaliapara village of Ward No-8 of Teknaf Municipality, from in front of 'Al Gani' Hotel in Cox's Bazar, and took him to Teknaf in a microbus.

The DB personnel beat Gafur and threatened to kill him in crossfire and dump the body in the sea and demanded a ransom of Tk one crore, stated the case document.

Gafur was later released after his relatives gave them over a ransom of Tk 17 lakh to them.

Soon after Gafur's release, his relatives reported the incident to the army personnel working at the Lambripara army check post on Marine Drive Road in Teknaf. Army personnel searched the microbus carrying DB police members and found Tk 17 lakh in the vehicle and arrested six DB personnel while SI Md Moniruzzaman fled from the scene.

On October 24, 2017, the victim businessman Gafur filed a case with Teknaf Police Station under section 365/385/386/34 of the Criminal Penal Code accusing the seven DB personnel.

After the case, the seven DB policemen involved in the kidnapping were terminated from the force.

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) investigated the case and submitted a charge sheet in the court on August 4, 2019, accusing the seven policemen.

On November 3, 2019, the senior district and sessions judge of Cox's Bazar accepted the charges framed against the seven.

The court recorded the testimony of 21 witnesses in the case.

PP Faridul said that the state side has been able to present the witnesses, all the facts and figures in court and proved the case beyond reasonable doubt.