2 ‘abductors’ killed in Kushtia ‘gunfight’

Two alleged criminals were killed in gunfight with police at Chitholia village in Mirpur upazila of Kushtia early today.

The deceased were identified as Juar Ali, 27, son of Akkas Ali, and Naimul Islam, 24, son of Johurul Islam of Chitholia village, our Kushtia correspondent reports quoting police.

Four policemen were also injured in the gunfight, police claimed.

Dev Dutt, son of Pabitra Dutt and a Class III student of Chitholia Primary School in the upazila, was abducted on June 9. Later, the abductors demanded Tk 50 lakh over the phone for his release. 

Rafiqul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Mirpur Police Station, said a police team arrested Juar and Naimul yesterday morning as suspects in Dev’s abduction.

Pabitra Dutt filed an abduction case with the police station accusing six unnamed people on June 9.

Based on their confessional statement, police recovered the body of the boy from a septic tank placed next to the house of Pabitra yesterday noon.

“They killed the boy on the day they abducted him with their gangs,” said Sakhawat Hossain, additional superintendent of police in Kushtia.  

After they disclosed the names of other gang members, police took Juar and Naimul to the Chitholia village to arrest them, ASP Sakhwat said.

“When police reached at Habatgari field at about 3.30am today, cohorts of Juar and Naimul fired on police to snatch them,” the ASP said adding that “a gunfight ensued there when police retaliated.”

“Both the men were killed in the line of fire,” the police official added.

Police recovered two pistols, five bullets and five machetes from the spot.