Police have become quite smart now how to create an instant cause of arresting a person basically to extort money in bargain for release.
It works like a trick for extortion as police in most cases put a packet of yaba and other drugs in a person’s pocket and charges him for carrying illegal drugs.
The person became panicked and speechless as police asks the victim to follow him to the nearest police camp. The victim at one stage surrenders to the trick and make plea for release. It ends up then in paying extortion money.
This is not unknown to police administration but the extortion is going almost unchecked.
Five members of Detective Branch (DB) of police were closed to the police lines in Joypurhat on Saturday after a complaint of extortion was filed against them by a victim.
Amirul Islam of Uttar Krishnapur village under Panchbibi upazila filed a written complaint against the detectives. In the complaint, he accused them of extorting Tk 45,000 from him.
The closed DB men are SI Md Ripon Mia, ASI Sarwardi and constables Aminul Islam, Abdur Razzak and Delwar Hossain.
Amirul filed the complaint on Wednesday saying Ripon along with another policeman picked him up from Atapara area around 11:00am on Monday.
They had taken him inside a nearby bamboo orchard and demanded Tk 45,000, he added.
Amirul alleged that the SI had handcuffed him there, taken a few photos and put some Yaba pills in his hands when he denied of giving the money.
Ripon also threatened him with implicating in false cases, he further alleged. He was eventually forced to give the money for his release, he said.
Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque could not be reached for comment over the issue.
According to media reports, 76,426 members of Bangladesh Police were punished for their involvement in various crimes and irregularities in five years and eight months as of August 31 last year.
Of them, 551 were dismissed or sacked and 72 faced forced retirement after the allegations against them were proved.
