Police officer, wife arrested over assault on domestic help in Khulna

A police officer and his wife have been arrested on charge of physically assaulting a domestic help in their residence in Khulna.

The victim's mother, Minati Rani Das, filed a case against Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of of Sonadanga Police Station Sanjoy Kumar Sarker and his wife, Popy Rani Saha this morning.

However, the couple had been taken into custody yesterday afternoon after the incident came to light, the OC said.

According to the police official, the victim, Milon Das, 22, daughter of Akil Chandra of Monohardi upazila in Narsingdi, had been working at the residence of the police officer for the past five years.

Eyewitness Robiul Gazi Ujjal, also journalist, said he noticed a person being tortured inside a nearby building while attending a seminar at Khulna Solar Park yesterday afternoon and recorded the incident from a distance.

He later learned that the house help had allegedly been assaulted after a vegetable dish was burnt during cooking. He also alleged that the victim suffered burn injuries from a hot frying pan.

Sonadanga Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Rafiqul Islam said police rescued Milon from the house and took her to the Victim Support Centre after the allegations surfaced.

After the victim's family was informed, they reached Khulna in the morning and filed the case, the OC said.

ASI Sanjoy has been sent to court, and his wife Popy is now in the prison cell of Khulna Medical College Hospital, OC said in the afternoon.

Khulna Mahila Parishad General Secretary Ajanta Das condemned the incident, saying, "Both of them are members of the law enforcement community. Such an offence by them is unacceptable under any circumstances."

She said legal assistance would be provided to the victim's family.