The Rapid Action Battalion has pressed formal charges in court against former Teknaf Police OC Pradip Kumar Das, former in-charge of Baharchhara investigation centre Inspector Liakat Ali and 13 others over the killing of retired army major Sinha Md Rashed Khan at a police checkpoint in Cox’s Bazar.
The case’s investigation officer, RAB-15’s ASP Md Khairul Islam, filed the charge-sheet with the court of Cox’s Bazar Senior Judicial Magistrate Tamanna Farah on Sunday.
“In addition to the 14 arrested in connection with the case, another suspect has also been added to the charge-sheet,” he said.
Apart from Pradip and Liakat, the charge-sheet also named SI Nanda Dulal Rakkhit, constables Safanur Karim, Kamal Hossain, Abdullah Al-Mamun and Mohammed Mostafa, APBN’s SI Mohammad Shahjahan, constables Mohammed Rajib and Mohammed Abdullah, police witnesses Nurul Amin, Nezam Uddin and Mohammed Ayaz, and former Teknaf police constable Rubel Sharma and ASI Sagar Deb.
Sinha, 36, was a member of the Special Security Force tasked with guarding the prime minister. He had gone into early retirement to pursue his interests. His father late Ershad Khan was a deputy secretary at the finance ministry.
Sinha was shot dead by a police officer at a checkpoint on Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive on the night of Jul 31.
The former army officer had been staying at Nilima Resort in Himchhari of Cox’s Bazar with three others for around a month to film a travel documentary.
After his death, police said they fired in self-defence when Sinha brandished a pistol at law enforcers after obstructing a search of his vehicle at the checkpoint at Shamlapur along the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive.
Sinha’s sister Sharmin Shahria Ferdous subsequently started a case against nine policemen on Aug 5.
The Home Ministry formed a high-level probe committee on Aug 2 after questions were raised about the details of the incident provided by the police while allegations of ‘extrajudicial killings’ against the police also resurfaced.
Later, seven policemen, including Liakat and Pradip, surrendered to the court in connection with the case filed by Sinha’s sister. They were also suspended from their jobs.
The government also made wholesale changes to the police force in Cox’s Bazar with almost all police personnel, including top officers and constables, being transferred out of the district.
Meanwhile, the main accused in the case, Liakat Ali, has filed a revision petition seeking the dismissal of the case filed by Sinha’s sister, claiming it was ‘illegal’. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Sunday.
Source:bdnews24.com
