Rape accused killed in Ctg ‘gunfight’

A rape accused was killed in a “gunfight” with members of Rab-7 in Chattogram’s Sitakunda upazila early yesterday.

The dead -- Iqbal Hossain Rana, 20, of the same upazila -- had been accused in a case filed over the rape of his neighbouring seventh grader in February last year.

Major Mehedi Hasan, deputy director (DD) of Rab-7, claimed that a patrol team of Rab-7 went to Amirabad area of Sitakunda on information that some criminals were gathering there. Sensing their presence, the criminals opened fire, forcing them to retaliate.

After the “gunfight”, Rab men found a bullet-ridden body of Rana on the spot. They rushed him to Sitakunda Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead, he added.

Rab also claimed to have recovered a gun and 11 bullets from the spot.

Harunur Rashid, sub-inspector of Sitakunda Police Station, said they received the body around 6:30am and sent it to Chattogram Medical College morgue for autopsy.