report in The Daily Star, Dec 26, 2023
Two members of the Criminal Investigation Department along with an accomplice were arrested on Sunday on charges of abducting a man from his residence in Dhaka and withdrawing over Tk 5 lakh from his bank account on October 8.
The arrestees are: sub-inspector Rezaul Karim, 39, constable Abu Saied, 32, and Sharif Hossain, 26.
A team of detectives arrested them from different areas in a case filed by the victim, Mostafizur Rahman, with Vatara Police Station on October 31, Harun Or Rashid, chief of Detective Branch of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told reporters at his office yesterday.
They were arrested based on information given by two other abductors — Md Emon, 21, and Abdullah Al Fahim, 21 — who were arrested on December 3. Besides, technological evidence showed that the CID men were involved in the crime, he said.
“If any other police personnel get involved with criminals, they will not be spared. Police force will not take an individual’s responsibility,” he said.
Mostafizur told The Daily Star that one of the abductors contacted him via WhatsApp on October 7 afternoon and asked about his personal details. Later that night, the caller from a different number reached out to the victim, claiming to be “OC Rabiul” from CID and asked him to visit his office at Malibagh headquarters by noon next day.
The next day, four helmeted persons arrived in his house in Kuril area, knocked at the door and hurled abusive words.
“As I saw CID cards and walkie-talkie with them through the peephole, I opened the door. They took me out of the building and the man who identified him as OC Rabiul slapped me,” the victim said, adding SI Rezaul was that “OC Rabiul”.
Handcuffed, the abductors, led by Rezaul, later took him on a motorcycle to the Purbachal area and threatened to kill him, brandishing a firearm. They tortured him and demanded Tk 10 lakh for his release.
“I agreed to pay them Tk 3 lakh. Then one of them asked about the money I have in my bank account. I told them that I had Tk 6.25 lakh in my account for my father’s operation. Then, the accused took me to a private bank in the Nikunja area and tried to withdraw money from the ATM booth.”
“Failing to do so, two persons including constable Saied took me inside the bank and withdrew Tk 5.2 lakh through a POS machine,” Mostafizur told The Daily Star.
The abductors later took him to his house and forced him to sign on two blank cheques and asked him not to tell anyone about the incident. “They threatened me with life,” he added.
Mostafizur said he initially thought they are fake CID members but now it is clear that some CID men are involved in the crime.
“They were arrested. I hope I will get justice now,” he said.
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/crime-justice/news/when-protectors-turn-perpetrators-3503321
