Staff Reporter :
Nine people, including the officer-in-charge of Panchlaish police station and five other policemen, were sued on charge of Tk 15 lakh extortion from an Awami Leaque leader and threatening to kill him in crossfire.
Ex-assistant secretary of religious affairs of central sub-committee of Awami League Mohammad Nurul Absar filed the case with the Chattogram Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court on Monday. Judge Mohammad Akbar Hossain Mridha took cognisance of the case and asked the Director of the Chottagram Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to investigate the incident, counsel of the plaintiff Mominur Rahman told media.
The accused are: Abul Kashem Bhuiyan, former officer-in-charge of the Patenga police station, two sub-inspectors — Pronoy Prakash and Abdul Momin, three assistant sub-inspectors — Tarun Kanti Sharma, Kamruzzman and Mihir, three alleged drug traders — Ilias alias Gavhi Ilias, Jasim and Nurul Huda.
According to the prosecution, sub-inspector Pronoy Prakash made a phone call to plaintiff Nurul Absar, a resident of the Patenga area and told to meet him in front of a bakery around 3am on June 1, 2018.
When the Awami League leader went to meet him, SI Abdul Momin and the three ASIs joined them and had breakfast together.
At one stage, the policemen forced him to go to Patenga police station and locked him up. Later, the policemen demanded Tk 30 lakh as extortion after branding him a Yaba trader.
They threatened the plaintiff saying that if he fails to pay the money they will put him on ‘crossfire’.
Scared, Nurul Absar sent them Tk15 lakh through his cousin and SI Momin and ASI Kamruzzman received the money the following day.
Having failed to realise the rest of the amount, ASI Tarun Kanti filed a case against him on June 3, 2018 under the Special Powers Act and produced him before a court which sent him to jail.
After securing bail on July 29, 2018, Nurul Absar filed a written complaint with the ACC.
Denying the allegation, officer-in-charge (OC) of the Panchlaish police Abul Kashem said police arrested Nurul Absar during the countrywide anti-narcotics drive before the national election.
“He was a listed drug trader and was wanted in many cases,” said the OC.
