Community police leaders among 16 sued for abetting rapist
A case was filed with Kushtia Children and Women Repression Prevention Court yesterday for raping a woman at Haripur village in Sadar upazila in the district on June 23.
The alleged rapist Babul and 15 others including two leaders of local community police, who allegedly attempted to protect the rapist in exchange of money, have been accused in the case.
The court ordered police to submit inquiry report within seven days.
On June 23, Yasmin Begum of Haripur village in Sadar upazila in the district went to collect water from a tube-well at neighbouring Babul's house at about 7:30pm when Babul forcibly took her to his room and raped her, goes the case statement.
At the woman cried for help, people from adjacent houses rushed to the spot and rescued the woman. She sustained critical injuries due to the incident.
Haripur union community police Convenor Kiam Uddin and Member Secretary Naeb Ali rushed to the spot, assured the woman of justice and asked her not to go to police or hospital, the case statement said.
Naeb was also Sadar upazila secretary of Bangladesh Manabadhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad.
On the next day, a group of people led by Kiam and Naeb went to the victim's house and asked her to ignore the incident saying that it would be harmful for her (victim) prestige.
There are allegations that the community police leaders took Tk 50,000 from the rapist assuring him of protection.
As the victim complained to district monitor of Adhikar, a national NGO working for human rights, the NGO with the help of two other human rights organisations -- Bangladesh Mahila Ainjibi Samity and FAIR -- investigated the incident on the spot and found the matter true.
Afterwards, a medical team led by Dr Sanjit Kumar examined the woman at Amin Diagnostic Centre in Kushtia and found her to have become pregnant.
Victim Yasmin filed a case accusing 16 people including Babul, Kiam and Naeb.
Investigation is going on and culprits will be punished, officer-in-charge of Sadar Police Station said.
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