Probe extortion allegation against 12 cops: Dhaka court

A Dhaka court today ordered deputy commissioner (DC) of Demra zone to investigate an extortion case filed by the wife of a former journalist against 12 policemen, including an assistant commissioner, and two others.

After scrutinising the case, Metropolitan Magistrate Raihan Ul Islam directed the DC to probe the matter and submit a report before it on September 19.

On July 12, Shahana Akhter, wife of Md Forman Ullah Khan of Dhakkin Kazla in Jatrabari, filed the case against 14 people, including an assistant commissioner on charge of demanding an extortion of Tk 6 lakh for her husband’s release.

The accused are Senior Assistant Commissioner Iftekhairul Islam of Demra zone, Officer-in-Charge of Jatrabari Police Station Anisur Rahman, its OC (Investigation) Tofail Ahmed, Sub-inspectors Zakir Hossain, Omar Faruque, Shahin Parvez, Laxmikant Roy, Md Shahidullah, KM Enayet Hossain and Kabir Hossain Ukil, ASI Atoar Rahman, constable Saiful and police informants Khokon and Md Sumon.

In her complaint, Shahana said Jatrabari police arrested her husband around 11:00am on June 21 as her husband submitted three applications to the home ministry seeking steps to stop narcotics business which was “being run with the help of police” in his area.

Later, Shahana went to Jatrabari Police Station around 4:30pm and found policemen beating her husband indiscriminately. After that, she met AC Iftekhairul for her husband’s release.

“But he used abusive words and demanded Tk 6 lakh for his release,” the complaint read.

Around 9:12pm, Shahana returned to her residence to collect money and gave Tk 2 lakh to one of the accused SI Kabir Hossain Ukil. But police did not release her husband, and the following day, sent him to the court showing him arrested in three cases filed for possessing narcotics, it said.

Forman used to work at national dailies and weeklies as a reporter, Shahana said in the complaint.