Staff Reporter :Villagers assaulted two cops when they released drug peddlers reportedly in exchange of kickback at Postkamari under Mirzapur police station in Tangail district on Monday morning.According to locals, Assistant Sub-Inspector Sirajul Islam and constable Selim raided the residence of Aminur and arrested his wife Ruma Begum.At that time Aminur’s son Rana offered huge amount of money for release of his mother. “Rana later took constable Selim to Mirzapur Bazar and paid the pledged bribe, a teacher of SK Pilot Girls’ High School at Mirzapur Sadar told The New Nation on Monday. He said that the two returned to Aminur’s residence where ASI Sirajul Islam was waiting, and removed Ruma Begum’s handcuff and she was freed. “But when the cops were leaving the house, local people held them hostage for one hour there and started beating them indiscriminately,” the teacher said. Another witness Hamid Miah said, as soon as the local came to know that the police had released the local drug ‘queenpin’ Ruma Begum in exchange of bribe, they gheraoed the house. “And at one stage, they stormed the house and assaulted the cops physically. The cops and Ruma tried to flee the house but in the face of massive uproar and protest their attempt was foiled,” he said Getting information, additional police force rushed to the spot and recovered their colleague assuring the local people of punitive measure against the cops. Seeing additional police, the local people chanted slogans against the members of law enforcers for patronizing various criminal activities in the area. Apart from Aminur, his wife Ruma Begum and son Mohammad Rana, local said Arif Hossain, Shafiqul Islam Shafi, Yakub Ali, Fulbanu and Kudbanu Begum have been peddling various drugs including heroin and phensidyl. “Police often raid the dens of the drug peddlers and arrest them if the drug peddlers do not pay the kickback. If the bribe is paid, police do not arrest the peddlers,” a shop owner at Mirzapur Bazar said.However, talking to The New Nation, Additional Superintendent of Police Sanjoy Sarker and Officer-in-Charge of Mirzapur Police Station Mainuddin Ahmed termed the incident as misunderstanding saying it was a staged drama by the drug peddlers and local people to shift the blame on police shoulders. “Acting on a tip off our two police personnel went there and arrested Ruma. But the other drug peddlers along with local people staged the drama of bribe-taking. However, we are investigating the incident. If police are found guilty, departmental action will be taken against them,” Additional Superintendent of Police said.
