Munshiganj cop closed for threatening youth with 'crossfire'
An assistant sub-inspector in Munshiganj has been closed and attached to police lines after he allegedly threatened to kill a youth in "crossfire" if he fails to pay the officer Tk 2 lakh.
Shakil Faraji, 26, in his verbal complaint to police alleged that he was picked up by ASI Sumon Mia of Gazaria Police Station from his shop and taken to a secluded place. There, Sumon issued the threat and also beat him up.
Gazaria Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mollah Soeb Ali said, "We got to know about the matter around noon. Later, ASI Sumon was closed and attached to the police lines following the order of superintendent of police."
Shakil, who is from Madhya Baushia village in Gazaria, told The Daily Star, "I own a shop called Khwaja Ajmeri Varieties Store at Madhya Baushia Bus Stand. On Sunday evening, I got a call from ASI Sumon of Gazaria Police Station saying that a drug case has been registered against me with Bandar Police Station of Narayanganj.
"Protesting the matter, I immediately said that I did not even visit Bandar upazila of Narayanganj in the last few months."
The next day around 10:30am, ASI Sumon picked him up from the shop in a white private car saying that he would talk to him, Shakil alleged.
In the car, there was another person who identified himself as an SI, a constable named Rafiqul and the driver.
The driver took the car to a place in Char Baushia area by the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.
Shakil claimed ASI Sumon showed him a pistol and asked him to pay Tk 2 lakh and threatened to kill him in "crossfire" branding him as an accused in the drug case if he did not pay the money.
When he refused to pay, they took away his phone and beat him up and tried to handcuff him, he said.
Shakil's mother Roksana Begum claimed, "After police picked up Shakil in the morning, we started searching for him in different places. We were at the Gazaria Police Station for 2-3 hours. Later, we came to know that Shakil was taken to a secluded area."
With the help of locals, Shakil was rescued from the hands of the policemen, she claimed.
Regarding the matter, ASI Sumon said one of his friends works at Bandar Police Station in Narayanganj. "There is a drug case in Shakil's name. That friend came to Gazaria Police Station today and they took Shakil to a garden to talk about the matter quietly."
He, however, could not answer why an accused should be taken to a quiet place to talk and not be arrested.
Gazaria Police Station OC said, "We are looking into the matter. If his [Sumon's] involvement is proved, departmental action will be taken against him."