Erfan Salim sued based on what we found during drives: Rab DG
Rab Director General Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun today said they filed the cases against Erfan Salim, son of Dhaka-7 lawmaker and Awami League leader Haji Md Salim, based on evidence they found during drives at his house in October last year.
"We conducted the drive… We filed the cases based on what we found during the drive," he said while responding to questions at a programme at Rab headquarters, marking Bangabandhu's birth centenary.
"Police have filed the investigation report based on its realisation. Now it is a sub-judice matter. We don't really want to speak much about a sub-judice matter," he added.
Later, Lt Col Ashique Billah, Rab's legal and media wing director, told reporters that Rab carried out the drive based on specific information and seized items including firearms and alcohol in presence of an executive magistrate.
A Rab official gathered all information and evidence and filed cases with Chawkbazar Police Station under Narcotics Control Act and Arms Act in this regard, he said.
"We are not aware what the investigation officer did later on. We think, the investigation officer submitted the final report based on his realisation," he said.
Asked whether Rab, the complainant of the cases, will file any "no confidence" petition, Ashique Billah said they are not aware of what the investigation officer mentioned in the final report.
"After receiving copy of the final report, we will take a decision," he said.
In their final report, Chawkbazar police said they did not find evidence to prove the charges against Erfan in the two cases.
"We are sending the final report to court today. We did not find evidence to prove the charges beyond doubt," Moudud Hawlader, officer-in-charge of Chawkbazar Police Station, told The Daily Star yesterday.
Inspector Delwar Hossain, also the investigation officer of the cases, however said Erfan's bodyguard Zahidul Mollah is not off the hook yet. He is being charged with possession of an illegal firearm.
Erfan was arrested after a case was filed against him on charge of "attacking" Lt Wasif Ahmed Khan of Bangladesh Navy in Dhanmondi area of Dhaka on October 25 last year.
Rab conducted a drive at Haji Salim's house on Devdas Lane in Old Dhaka the next day.
Irfan was sentenced by a mobile court to six months' jail in connection with recovery of illegal alcohol and another six months for possessing illegal walkie-talkies.
During the drive, 38 walkie-talkies, five virtual private servers (VPS), one briefcase with handcuffs, one single barrel gun, one loaded foreign-made pistol, 12 cans of beer and eight bottles of other alcohol were recovered, Rab said.
Comments