Court asks DB to probe extortion case against cops

A Dhaka court yesterday directed the Detective Branch (DB) of police to investigate an extortion case filed against four police personnel, including the officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station in Dhaka.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Mamunur Rashid passed the order, court sources said.

The magistrate also asked the DB to submit a probe report in the case before the court by January 20 next year.

Rahim, a trader, filed the case with the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Sufian Md Noman on November 17.

The four are OC Md Mizanur Rahman, SI Anisul Haque, and ASIs Khairul Islam and Shahidul Islam.

Apart from them, Delwar Hossain, a police source, and three unidentified persons were also made accused in the case.

The magistrate had fixed December 22 for passing an order in this regard.

According to the case documents, three persons identifying themselves as members of DB stopped Rahim on Chunkutia Bridge in South Keraniganj around 8pm on October 12 while he was returning home from Charkaliganj Zila Parishad Market.

They told the trader there was an arrest warrant against him. Later, they took him to a nearby shop and frisked him. As they didn't find any illegal item with him, shopkeepers requested the three to let him go.

The three then took Rahim to Babu Bazar Bridge where SI Anisul, ASI Khairul and their source Delwar were waiting.

Suddenly, the three men took out 650 yaba pills from their pockets and claimed that they seized those pills from Rahim.

SI Anisul told Rahim that he would be made an accused in a drug case if he didn't pay them Tk 2 lakh.

Later, Rahim handed over a gold chain weighing one tola and Tk 13,000 to Anisul.

As he failed to manage the remaining amount, he was taken to Kotwali Police Station around 9:15pm and kept in custody.

OC Mizanur told Rahim that he was made an accused in a case for possessing 10 yaba pills.

The following day, police produced Rahim before a court that sent him to jail. He was released on bail on October 30, added the case statement.