‘SI, informant raped me’

A mother of two in Jashore alleged that a police sub-inspector and his informant raped her on Tuesday night, but police yesterday claimed that she registered a case against four persons, excluding the SI. 

The woman remained traceless since the filing of the case with Sharsha Police Station early yesterday.

Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, she narrated the incident to journalists at Jashore Sadar Hospital where she had gone for medical tests, hours after she had been allegedly gang-raped.

She said SI Khairul Islam, in-charge of Gorpara Police Camp under Sharsha Police Station, his informant Kamaruzzaman alias Kamrul and two to three local men went to her house around 2:30am on Tuesday.

As she opened the door, Khairul told her that he would help get her husband released from jail if she gave him Tk 50,000.

The woman also said SI Khairul had picked up her husband from the house 10 days ago, and demanded Tk 50,000, she added.

“As I failed to give him the money, he implicated my husband in a false case, saying 50 bottles of Phensedyl were found in his possession. My husband is now in jail in that case,” alleged the woman.

On early Tuesday, she again refused to give the money to SI Khairul and got locked into an argument with him. At one stage, SI Khairul and Kamrul forcibly entered the house and raped her, said the victim.

The woman said she had told her neighbours about the incident after the SI and others left.

“My neighbours told me I needed to undergo medical tests before filing a case. I have come here [hospital] before going to the police station.”

The Daily Star has obtained a video clip of her interview to journalists.

Police yesterday said the victim filed a case against four persons without naming one of them.

Talking to journalists yesterday, Mainul Hoque, superintendent of police in Jessore, said, “Four people, including SI Khairul, were produced before the complainant in the evening [Tuesday]. But she could not recognise Khairul. We assume that it was not him. It could be someone else by the name Khairul.”

He further said, “We have sent our senior officers to the spot. We will do everything to unearth the truth because a police officer’s name came up …”

Salahuddin Shikder, additional superintendent of police in Jashore, told this correspondent that SI Khairul was produced before the victim several times on Tuesday night, but she didn’t identify Khairul as rapist.

He further said a committee has been formed to investigate the incident, and SI Khairul was withdrawn for the sake of an impartial probe.

This correspondent went to the victim’s house yesterday afternoon but found none there. Her neighbours could not say anything about her whereabouts.

Mashiur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Sharsha police station, told this newspaper that they sent the woman to her house by a police vehicle after recording the case.

Meanwhile, police arrested three accused -- Kamrul Islam, 40, Omar Ali, 50, and Abdul Latif, 48, -- raiding different places in the area.

Arif Ahmed, resident doctor at Jessore Sadar Hospital, said the victim came to the emergency unit on Tuesday afternoon.

“After hearing her claims, we informed police about the matter. Md Moniruzzaman, officer-in-charge at Jessore Kotwali Police Station, came here and took her to the Jessore SP,” the physician told this newspaper.

“Specimens were collected from the victim. We will get the reports soon,” he added.