Cop held after gold ornament snatching

An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of Rupnagar Police Station was arrested over snatching 38 tolas of gold ornaments, worth Tk 26 lakh, from a jewellery shop worker.

ASI Zahidul Islam along with at least four others, all in plainclothes, intercepted Titu Pradhaniya at Gabtoli in the capital on Monday, identifying himself as a detectives.

The team then took the ornaments, Titu mentioned in the statement of a case he filed with Darussalam Police Station.

Inspector (investigation) Jamal Hossain of Darussalam Police Station said that through CCTV footage, they first traced a motorcycle, which belongs to Zahidul and was used at the time of the incident. They arrested him from Rupnagar Police Station on Monday night.

He further said the complainant also identified Zahidul after arrest.

During interrogation, Zahidul, however, denied his involvement.

Police produced him before a Dhaka court yesterday with a seven-day remand prayer. The court granted four days.

"We have found involvement of at least four others. We are trying to arrest them," Inspector Jamal told The Daily Star.

Asked whether the rest were policemen, he replied in the negative.

Police quoting the case statement said Titu, who works at Dhanshiri Chain and Ball House in the city's Tantibazar area, was carrying the ornaments in a schoolbag to deliver those to various gold shops in Tangail's Mirzapur and Sakhipur.

As he was waiting at Gabtoli to catch a bus, a person identifying himself as a DB policeman asked for his name, address and occupation.

After Titu gave his identity and said he was carrying ornaments, the man asked him to provide documents.

During this conversation, four to five others appeared there and took the bag.

They forced him to get on a motorcycle and took him to Mirpur Beribandh area, saying he would be taken to Tejgaon Police Station.

There, some from the group along with Titu boarded a CNG-run three wheeler. The others got down with the bag in Bijoy Sarani area, leaving Titu in the vehicle.