Maj Sinha’s Killing: 3 APBn men held

Three members of Armed Police Battalion were arrested and placed on a seven-day remand in a case filed in connection with the killing of Major (retd) Sinha Md Rashed Khan, bringing the total number of arrested to 13 yesterday.

The trio are Assistant Sub-inspector Md Shahjahan and constables Razib and Md Abdullah. They were on duty at the Shamlapur checkpoint at 9:30pm on July 31, yards away from the spot where Maj (retd) Sinha was killed, said Lt Col Ashiq Billah, director of Rapid Action Battalion's legal and media wing during a press conference at Jol Torongo resort in Cox's Bazar on Monday night. 

Judge of Teknaf Upazila Senior Magistrate Court Tamanna Farah passed the order after Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Khairul Islam of Rab, also the investigation officer of the murder case, produced them before the court with 10-day remand prayer for each. 

Speaking to reporters at the court premises, the investigation officer of the case, Rab's Assistant Director Khairul Islam said, "During primary interrogation we found that they were actively involved in the incident."

Rab will take them into remand at a suitable time, he added.

The three have been suspended from their duties. APBn-16 Commanding Officer Md Hemayetul Islam said, "According to government rules, APBn members get suspended upon arrest."

Sources said Islam himself was interviewed yesterday by the home ministry's four-member high-level investigation committee tasked with looking into the murder.

Meanwhile, Rab began their interrogation of OC Pradip, suspended Inspector Liaqat Ali and Sub-inspector Nandadulal Rakshit yesterday. Around 10:30am, Rab officials went to Cox's Bazar District Jail and took them into their custody, said jail Superintendent Mozammel Hossain.

Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital's Resident Medical Officer Shaheen Mohammed Abdur Rahman Chowdhury told The Daily Star that three arrested police officers were brought in for a health check-up at 11:45pm. "We did a medical check-up, and they were sent to the office of Rab-15 afterwards," he said.

The investigation officer will be able to interrogate them for the court-granted duration of 7 days.

On Monday afternoon when Rab Director General Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun visited Baharchhara, the investigation officer had informed him that when Liaqat stopped Sinha's car, he came out of the car with his hands raised in the air, and was immediately shot.

Bangladesh Financial Intelligence Unit (BFIU) directed the commercial banks to freeze the accounts of eight people, including Cox's Bazar Police Superintendent ABM Masud Hossain.

Also included in the list are the suspended officer-in-charge of Teknaf police station Pradip Kumar Das, his wife Chumki Karan and his brother Dilip. Film actor and stunt artist Elias Cobra, who has been accused by certain media of having had telephone conversations with Pradip on the day Sinha was killed, also had his bank accounts frozen by BFIU. 

"We are still investigating the accounts, so we cannot comment on anything," said BFIU chief Razee Hassan.

PRADIP ALSO ACCUSED IN ANOTHER 'CROSSFIRE'

Another "crossfire" related case was filed yesterday against OC Pradip Kumar Das and 26 other police officers by the mother of a victim named Saddam Hossain.

The main accused of the case is the in-charge of the Whykhong police outpost, Sub-inspector Moshiur Rahman, with Pradip being the second accused. Chief Judicial Magistrate Mohan Helal Uddin recorded the case and directed the Criminal Investigation Department to look into the case, informed the complainant's lawyer Insafur Rahman.

The First Information Report filed by the mother, Gulcheher, alleged that her sons Saddam Hossain and Zahid Hossain were picked up by Moshiur Rahman from the road in front of their house on July 4.

Gulcheher went to the outpost and Moshiur agreed to let them go if they paid Tk 10 lakh. They settled for Tk 5 lakh, of which Tk 3 lakh was handed in cash by Gulcheher to the cop, the FIR alleged.

The remaining Tk 2 lakh was sent over to the police official on July 5, using their own local messenger, a union parishad member named Nurul Amin, alleged Gulcheher.

Zahid was prosecuted in a narcotics case and sent to court, but Saddam was not spared.

"On July 7 at 10:00pm, Saddam was taken to a spot 300 yards away from his own residence and shot," alleged the FIR.

According to the news of Saddam's death, published in The Daily Star on July 8, police had told our correspondent that he was accused in 17 cases. His father Sultan Ahmed was killed in a similar incident two years ago.