400 maunds plums stolen in Shariatpur
Staff Reporter :
A group of thieves have stolen about 400 maunds of plums and oranges from an orchard of a poor farmer in the dark of night in Shariatpur district on Thursday.
Being the accused in a case, the plum orchard owner and workers were on the run for a few days in fear of police arrest.
Farmer Solaiman Khan lodged a complaint regarding the theft of plums and oranges with the Gosairhat police station in Shariatpur on Thursday.
According to the orchard owner and local sources, farmer Solaiman Khan leased three acres of land in the Chhota Kalinagar area of Nagerpara Union of Gosairhat and planted plum and orange trees. Sulaiman Khan brought medicines and fertilisers on loan from the Medicines and Fertilizers Company.
The farmer is supposed to pay the money after selling plums and oranges.
Due to a local dispute, a case was filed against the orchard owner Solaiman. Being the accused in that case, Solaiman and the orchard employees were on the run from Monday to Wednesday out of fear of police arrest.
Taking the opportunity, some people steal about 400 maunds of plums and oranges from Solaiman’s orchard in the dark of night.
The current market value of the plums and oranges stolen from Solaiman’s orchard is approximately Tk 10 lakh. Farmer Solaiman is anxious about how to pay the land lease rent, medicine, and fertiliser. Local resident Jhantu said, “My house is next to Solaiman Khan’s plum and orange orchard. On Monday night, I was sleeping at my home and suddenly I heard the sound of people in the garden.
When I called and asked to know, the answer from the garden was ‘we’. I didn’t leave the house because it was late at night.”
Orchard owner Solaiman Khan stated that “we were running away fearing a false case. In this situation, the thieves took advantage and stolen about 400 maunds of plums and oranges from his garden. “I brought medicine and fertiliser for the orchard, leased the land, and labourers worked round the year.”
He hoped that the police would be able to nab the criminals if proper investigation is done.
