Fresh probe demanded as accused JCD leaders dropped from charge sheet

Robin Roy, son of Parimol Roy, addressing a press conference at the Reporters Unity office in Satkhira recently. PHOTO: STAR

The two main accused are Tala Government College JCD (Jatiatabadi Chhatra Dal) Vice President Sheikh Mehedi Hasan Mintu and party leader Habibur Rahman.

The demand was made at a press conference at Satkhira Reporters Club on Monday last.

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It was addressed by Robin Roy, son of Parimol Roy, one of the two included in the charge sheet submitted on November 24.

Dropping of the two JCD leaders and inclusion of the two in the charge sheet has fomented resentment and tension in Tala upazila.

Sharmin Parvin, 16, daughter of late Abu Bakar of Paikgachha in Khulna, was raped and strangled inside a shop at Tala upazila headquarter on July 23. The body was recover from a pond near the shop on the following morning.

Sharmin worked as a domestic help at the house of freedom fighter Afzal fakir in Tala Sadar.

In a statement given on August 5 before First Class Magistrate Ibrahim Khan under Section 164, Sharmin's fiance Abdul Halim said they were returning to her house from her relative's house in Atharomile village on July 23. Hamil is the son of one Khalil Biswas of Shibpur village in Tala.

As they reached in front of Tala Upazila Muktijoddha Sangsad office at about 8 pm, Sheilh Mehdi Hasan Mintu, Habibur Rahman and two others caught and dragged them inside a shop owned by Parimal Roy. They tied him and gangraped Sharmin.

They strangled her, threw the body into a nearby pond and threatened him with death if he disclosed the incident, Halim said in his statement.

As his statement was published in local news papers, local ruling party leaders including a law maker became active to save the two JCD leaders. They got Hamil arrested and compelled him to file a petition for withdrawal of his earlier statement given before the magistrate, Robin alleged in a written statement.

He said Halim, under their pressure and threat, on August 20 retracted his earlier statement and said he alone killed Sharmin and narrated his brutal act to shopowner Parimal Roy.

After that, investigation officer (IO) of the case submitted a charge sheet to a magistrate court on November 24 against Abdul Halim and Parimal Roy, dropping the names of the two JCD leaders, he alleged.

The IO said in the charge sheet that allegations brought against the two JCD leaders could not be proved.

Robin said, Abdul Halim filed an 'naraji' petition against the charge sheet and prayed for withdrawal of his second statement given under "threats by ruling party men".

He claimed that names of the two JCD leaders were dropped from the charge sheet due to pressure from local ruling party leaders.