Two 'raped' in Patuakhali, Jhalakathi

Police yesterday arrested an alleged rapist at a launch when he was attempting to flee to Dhaka from Patuakhali.

Khondokar Mostafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Patuakhali Police Station, said they produced accused Syed Maruf Gazi before a district court, which ordered him to be sent to jail.

On Saturday night, Maruf allegedly raped a 16-year-old college girl at a garden in Bahalgachia area when she was returning home on a rickshaw, police sources said quoting the case statement filed by the victim's father.

A relative of the victim said Maruf often used to stalk the girl on her way to college or tuition classes from home.

Around 8:00pm on Saturday, when she was returning home, Maruf, with the help of his friend Rimon, took the victim to the garden.

“While she was being raped, his friend was capturing a video of it,” her relatives said, adding that locals rushed to her rescue hearing her screams.

The accused and his cohort managed to flee.

After rescuing her, the locals informed her father of the matter and took her to Patuakhali Police Station where her father filed the case at 11:00pm.

The victim was sent to Patuakhali General Hospital for examination.

In another incident in Jhalakathi, a District and Session Judge's Court yesterday directed officer-in-charge (OC) of Nalchity Police Station to investigate into the alleged rape of a housemaid.

OC Shakhawat Hossain said he received the directive.

According to the case statement filed by the victim, 34, she used to work at a house at Bhorotkathi of Nalchity in Jhalakathi as a housemaid, where she was raped several times six months ago by Morur Rahman Ringku, the employer's son.

The alleged rapist also made a video footage and threatened the victim of releasing it.

At one stage, she was impregnated and forced to abort the pregnancy.

She complained to the alleged rapist's mother about the incident one month ago. As there was no action taken, she stopped working at the house, the statement said.

Recently, Ringku went to the victim's house and attempted to rape her again but she was saved by a neighbour who came to her rescue hearing her screams.

The victim filed a case on Thursday with Jhalakathi court which directed the police to probe.