2 cops, NSI man charged over hijack attempt

Detectives in Jessore yesterday pressed charges against four people including two constables of police and a watcher-constable of the National Security Intelligence for trying to hijack a car with 12.83kg smuggled gold in Bagharpara upazila on September 2.

The accused are constables Sheikh Mizanur Rahman of Jhikargacha police in Jessore and Rubayet Hossain of Sujanagar police in Pabna, Satkhira NSI watcher-constable Lipton Mia and their associate Momin of Abhaynagar upazila in Jessore.

All the accused except Momin are on the run. Momin has already given a confessional statement to a Jessore court, said investigation officer Sub-Inspector Abul Khayer of Detective Branch of police.

"We have submitted the charge sheet to a court today [Tuesday] against the four as our investigation has found their involvement," he told The Daily Star.

He added they did not accuse the second NSI man and another civil associate as their details could not be found immediately. He, however, said the two would be made accused once they were identified.

The IO said the motive was to steal the gold kept hidden in the car.

Following the incident, Tauhidur Rahman of Custom Ghat area in Khulna city filed a case with Bagharpara police, accusing two policemen, two NSI watcher-constables and two of their civil associates for mugging him and his driver and trying to lift their car.

Detectives said the plaintiff has also gone into hiding as 110 pieces of gold bars were recovered from the car on September 4. Bagharpara police seized both the gold and the car. Another case was filed with the police, accusing Tauhidur and his driver Maliq in this regard.

SI Tarun Kumar Kor of Vitaballah police outpost in Bagharpara said hearing that several people were beating up two handcuffed men on September 2, they rushed to the spot and found constable Mizanur driving a car with Tauhidur and his driver Maliq on board, both handcuffed.

He further said several people on two motorcycles were following the car and fled the scene immediately as his team obstructed the car.

Mizanur was arrested but he managed to escape from the lockup of the police station the next day. A case was filed against him for escaping.

Following the escape, police closed Qaiyyum Sardar, officer-in-charge, Assistant Sub-Inspector Nasir and constable Oliar Rahman of Bagharpara station to Jessore Police Lines.

A departmental investigation is underway against the three, said Jessore Addition Superintendent of Police AKM Ariful Haque.

Asked about the NSI man, he said they had already informed his higher authorities about his involvement.

Mozammel Haque, assistant director of Satkhira NSI, said the accused was on leave and refused to make any further comments in this regard.

Earlier in August this year, a police probe found direct links between six policemen and a yaba smuggling syndicate based in Cox's Bazar.

In 2012, Abdul Aziz, an NSI field officer of the airport, was arrested on charge of involvement in gold smuggling.