2 cops ‘tortured three people to extort money’

Two police officers in Savar have allegedly tortured three people and extorted money from them in three separate incidents.
One of the three men was allegedly tortured and extorted Tk 80,000, after he refused to meet the police officers' indecent demand for handing his daughter over to them.
Victim Arif Khan of Vadail area said Sub-inspector Noman Siddique and Assistant sub-inspector Badrul Huda of Ashulia Police Station detained him in the evening of May 28, when he was watching a cricket match at a nearby shop.
Police suddenly cuffed his hands, and took him to his house. They searched his house and found Tk 30,000, which they instantly pocketed. The cops then asked his wife and daughter to arrange another Tk 1 lakh for his release, forced him into a car and whisked him away.
Inside the car, the police officers told Arif, a cleaner, that he would be released if they handed his daughter over to them, Arif claimed.
As he protested, they tortured him, as the car drove towards Gazipur. When in Gazipur, they called his daughter and asked her to arrange Tk 50,000 for her father's release.
The police officers finally released him around 11:00pm, after his family gave them Tk 50,000, which they borrowed from friends and family in their village home.
Separately, the same two cops detained another man, tortured him for about five hours and threatened with implicating him in a drug case. The man was released after his family paid the cops Tk 74,000 in ransom.
Victim Nazmul Hossain Mollah, from Kathgara area of Ashulia, said the two cops detained him on July 11 in a drug case. He had TK 24,000 with him at the time, and the cops took the money away.
They tortured him for more money, and finally released him around midnight, after his family gave them Tk 50,000 in ransom.
His brother Assaduzzaman Mollah, a businessman, told The Daily Star that SI Noman and ASI Badrul took his brother hostage for money.
"When I found my brother missing for four hours that night, I went to the police station and reported the matter to the inspector (operations) Jamal Sikder," Assaduzzzaman said.
The two cops later apologised for the incident and ASI Badrul returned the ransom money in front of Jamal Shikder, he said.
Jamal Sikder said he is not aware of any such incident.
The third victim is Alamgir Hossain, also from Vadail area.
He said SI Noman Siddiqui was investigating a case over the death of a man named Tajibul Mir. According to Alamgir, Tajibul died from over drinking in February.
SI Noman threatened Alamgir with implicating him in the case if he did not give them Tk 1 lakh.
He finally settled the matter with Tk 30,000.
SI Noman said he had nothing to do with the May 28 incident where a father was tortured for refusing to entertain the cops' indecent proposal involving his daughter.
He also denied his involvement in the July 11 torture and extortion.
"But I know that the money taken from the man was returned and the matter was resolved," he told The Daily Star.
SI Noman also denied that he took any money from Alamgir, and asked this correspondent not to publish this report.
ASI Badrul Huda said he was not involved with any of the incidents.
Mohammad Mominul Islam, inspector (Investigation) of Ashulia police, and Md Asaduzzaman, Superintendent of Dhaka police, said they were not aware of the incidents.
"I will look into the matters," the SP said.
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