Staff Reporter :
Five people, including three women, were beaten mercilessly in front of villagers in connection with the theft of cows at Harbang Union under Chakaria upazila of Cox’s Bazar on Friday.
In this time a mother and her daughter, were brutally handcuffed and made to walk in front of hundreds of locals on the streets in the day light.
In addition, a case of cattle theft has been filed against these five persons with the Chakaria Police Station. Later they were sent to jail on a court order.
The incident took place in Paharchanda area of Chakaria’s Harbang union of the district on Friday. But the matter came to light when some locals took the pictures and videos of the incident. They later circulated those on social media which later went viral.
According to locals, UP Chairman Miranul Islam and his followers handed over the mother and daughter to the police after torturing them on suspicion of being cow thieves.
Confirming the arrest, Chakaria Police Station Officer-in-Charge (Investigation) Mizanur Rahman on Sunday said locals chased five members of a “cattle lifter syndicate” for a kilometre and held them at the Union Parishad office.
Being informed, police arrested them and a case was filed against them by one of the locals.
During preliminary interrogation, the arrested individuals confessed that they were looking to steal cattle, said Mizanur, adding that: “We didn’t initially know that they were forced to walk through the neighbourhood while being bound with ropes. Even the accused persons had not made any complaints.”
Mizanur further said police have taken the matter seriously after they got to know about the punishment from social media posts.
While asked about the incident Harbang UP Chairman Miranul Islam said : “Locals of my area detained the five including the women. Then they were brought to my office. I wasn’t there at the time of the incident. When I was called by people in my area, I reported the matter to Chakaria police over phone. Police took them from my office. I have neither harassed them nor I have seen them”, UP Chairman added.
