Stalkers threatening victim's family to withdraw case

The stalkers, who beat up a Junior School Certificate (JSC) examinee in Ishwarganj upazila on November 2, are threatening the victim's family to withdraw the case.

Rahima Khatun, 13, a JSC examinee from Postari High School, was returning home at Char Pubail village in the upazila from the examination centre at the upazila headquarters on a motorbike with her uncle and cousin around 2:00pm.

On the way, Russel Miah, 22, son of Abdul Quddus, along with 20 accomplices of the same village, waylaid the motorbike near Char Pubail Community Clinic and gave a marriage proposal to the girl.

As the girl rejected the proposal, Russel and his men pulled her and her uncle Nazrul Islam, 32, from the bike and started beating them with an iron rod.

At one stage, the stalkers hacked Nazrul Islam with a sharp weapon. When Rahima's cousin Faruq Hossain, 25, came forward to save Nazrul, the gang hacked the boy also.

Hearing their screams, locals rushed to the spot but the gang members managed to flee.

The victims were admitted to Ishwarganj Upazila Health Complex. Rahima was released after treatment at the health complex, but Nazrul and Faruq were shifted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital (MMCH) with head injuries.

Rahima's uncle Abdul Helim Liton, filed a case against 20 people, including Russel as prime accused, with Ishwarganj Police Station on the day.

Contacted, Md Borhan Uddin, officer-in-charge of Ishwarganj Police Station, said four of the accused appeared before a Mymensingh court on Wednesday and took bail.

The accused left the area after the incident but police drives are on to arrest Russel and other accused, the OC added.

As the girl is appearing in the JSC examination, we are alert about her security, the OC continued.

But the girl's family members alleged that local administration and police did not take security measures for her. The girl has been appearing in the examinations with injuries in her legs, family sources said.

We are feeling insecure following repeated threats from the accused to withdraw the case, said Rahima's family. "The accused are moving freely in the area," they alleged.