Six cops acquitted of abduction, extortion charges

A Chattogram court yesterday acquitted six police constables of extortion charges.

The policemen were sued by a businessman for extorting money from him after abducting him from the district's Anwara upazila in 2021.

The acquitted cops are Abdul Nabi, Eskandar Hossain, Monirul Islam, Shakil Khan, Masud, and Morshed Billah.

The court of Fourth District Session Judge Farzana Akhter acquitted the policemen after cross-examining all the witnesses and evidence in the case.

However, prosecution lawyers said the accused were released due to a weak deposition by witnesses, including the plaintiff.

Additional Public Prosecutor Robiul Alam said, "Although there was evidence against them, the police constables were acquitted because the witnesses of the case did not identify them before the court during deposition.

In the case, a total of 12 witnesses testified before the court.

Earlier, Anwara police of Chattogram district arrested the constables for picking up contractor Abdul Mannan from his house on February 4 night, 2021, and extorting money by keeping him hostage.

Mannan filed the case with Anwara police station over the abduction and extortion.

Following the incident, multiple police personnel of different ranks were transferred from CMP to other units.

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) of Chattogram pressed a charge sheet implicating the six cops.