Sylhet numbed

A police constable yesterday confessed before a court to have kidnapped and killed a nine-year-old boy for ransom in Sylhet.

Sylhet police rescued Abu Sayeed's body wrapped in sacks from the attic of Constable Ebadur Rahman's house at Kumarpara in the city on Saturday night.

Abu Sayeed, a fourth grader at Hazi Shahmeer Primary School, had been abducted on Wednesday noon on his way home from school.

The shocking incident has outraged the family and locals who demanded punishment for the killers.

“Ebadur kidnapped the boy for money, but killed him as he [Sayeed] recognised the policeman,” said a court official, citing the constable's confessional statement to the Sylhet Metropolitan Magistrate's Court-1 of Shahedul Karim.

Police also arrested two other accused in the crime -- Geda Mia, a source of law enforcers, and N Islam Talukder alias Rakib, general secretary of Sylhet district Ulama League.

Ebadur, 35, of Airport Police Station, was known to Abu Sayeed and his family as he used to live in their house as a tenant until three months ago.

A forensic team of police bring down the body of nine-year-old Abu Sayeed from the attic of a police constable's home in Jherjheripara of Sylhet yesterday. Family members of Sayeed crying in their home after they learnt the fourth grader was abducted and killed by the policeman. Photo: Star

When kidnappers demanded Tk 5 lakh in ransom by phone for Sayeed's release on Wednesday night, Ebadur encouraged the family to pay the money. He even cried with the family members, said Joynal Abedin, Sayeed's uncle.

The constable and his two partners in crime later met the family and took Tk 2 lakh from them, saying they would hand the money over to the kidnappers.

This raised suspicion among the family members and the police. 

As the Sylhet Kotwali Police launched an investigation on Wednesday night, they tracked the mobile number used to demand the ransom.

“That way, we found involvement of Constable Ebadur. During interrogation, he confessed to his involvement in the abduction and the murder,” said Sub-inspector Faiz Ahmad.

On information gleaned from Ebadur, law enforcers went to his house and recovered Sayeed's body.

“Evidence suggests the boy was strangled to death,” said Shamimur Rahman, inspector of the Criminal Investigation Department in Sylhet.

Contacted, Saleha Begum, the boy's mother, said she was speechless. “How could a man who stayed with my family commit such a crime? Where shall I seek justice?”

Sayeed was third among four siblings.

The family, originally from Sunamganj, moved to Sylhet for better education of the children. Most of their relatives live abroad.

Last night, police were preparing to file two cases against five, including the three already arrested, in connection with the abduction and the killing.