‘Sexual abuse by cop’: Court orders judicial inquiry

A court in Dhaka today ordered judicial inquiry into the allegation of sexual abuse of a female university student by a sub-inspector of Adabor Police Station.

The order came after the student filed a case against SI Ratan Kumar.

Also, authorities have suspended Kumar and formed a two-member committee to investigate the allegation.

Adabor police Sub-Inspector Ratan Kumar intercepted the victim, a student of Asha University, yesterday afternoon and harassed her, the victim had told The Daily Star.

Apart from accusing her as a yaba peddler, SI Kumar along with two of his associates confined her to a nearby shop and gave her indecent proposals, according to the victim. They also tried to beat up the student, she claimed.

READ MORE: Victim describes the incident

Primary inquiry found SI Ratan Kumar having a 10-minute talk with the woman, Biplob Kumar Sarkar, deputy commissioner (Tejgaon Division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told The Daily Star today.

After the matter was taken to the court, Judge Md Salehuddin Ahmed of the fourth tribunal under Prevention for Women and Children Repression Act ordered a metropolitan magistrate to report on the inquiry within seven working days.

The incident follows the much hyped incident of torture on a Bangladesh Bank official where a policeman of nearby Mohammadpur Police Station tried the same. The incident sparked outrage throughout the country.