Girl gang-raped to frame political rivals

After using his connections to make fake NID cards of his political opponents and buying several SIM cards using those, Shahidul Islam Maznu, UP chairman of Faridpur's Ishan Gopalpur, rented a flat in the capital's Jatrabari.

He then ordered his accomplices to take a girl to that flat and rape her using the identity of his rivals.

On December 5, they did what he asked them to.

The gang then threatened her with life and forced her to file a case using the details of the fake NIDs and newly bought SIM cards. 

She was first made to call the national emergency helpline, after which police rushed to the flat, in Jatrabari's Golapbagh, and rescued her.

Then, as per the gang's instructions, she filed a case against Uzzal Sarker Loton, Mostafizur Rahman, Belayet Hossain, and Jamal Shaikh with Jatrabari Police Station on December 6.

Police immediately started an investigation and even managed to arrest the four falsely implicated men.

However, the tables turned when all four managed to prove to the police that they were not present at the crime scene using CCTV footage and cell phone details. After that, the investigators had to let them go.

The victim girl was next taken into police custody, and during interrogation, she revealed that one of the gang members and the chairman's "right-hand man", Shamshu alias Sultan, had known her from before.

In her confession at court on December 14, she further said Sultan brought her to Dhaka and took her to the flat, promising that she would be given a better job.

He then brought three other people and they all raped her.

She said they had even made a fake NID of hers.

With the information given by the victim, police managed to arrest three of the gang members and the UP chairman from different areas in Dhaka and Faridpur, Ziaul Ahsan Talukdar, deputy commissioner of Wari Division police, told The Daily Star yesterday.

"We have primarily come to know that there was a rivalry between UP chairman Maznu and Uzzal, who was also planning to contest for chairman post."

Due to this, Maznu attempted to tarnish Uzzal's image by staging the crime, he said, adding, "We are now trying to find out and verify what kind of rivalry exists between the two."

The gang members who were arrested are Md Mosharraf Hossain, Harun Molla, and Sohel Matubbor.

Police produced the four arrestees in a Dhaka court yesterday seeking a seven-day remand.

After the hearing, the court granted a three-day remand for each arrestee, SM Jahangir Hasan, additional deputy commissioner of Wari Division police, told this newspaper.

"In primary interrogation, Mosharraf, Harun, and Sohel admitted to taking part in the gang rape as per Maznu's instruction," he said, adding, "We are now conducting a drive to arrest Sultan, who masterminded the gang rape."

About the victim, Jahangir said the court handed her over to her family.

According to investigators, Maznu and his gang had rented the flat in November using fake NIDs and even bought sim cards using the fake details and kept them active at the flat to ensure the location remained the same at all times.

And on December 5, the crime was committed, said Madhusudan Das, assistant commissioner of Wari Division police.

"We are also trying to find out how the criminals have managed the fake NIDs and SIMs."