Court for action against plaintiff, cop over case against infant

A Dhaka court yesterday directed the authorities concerned to take legal action against the complainant and a sub-inspector for placing an 11-month-old infant and a dead man in a theft and vandalism case.

The court directed the officer-in-charge of Mirpur police to take legal action against complainant Habibur Rahman for filing the case and police high officials to take lawful action against SI Maruful Islam for neglect in investigation.

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Metropolitan Magistrate Khurshid Alam passed the order and also directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to launch investigation into the theft and vandalism case filed by Habibur on June 26 last year.

Sub-Inspector Maruful Islam, who is now under suspension, pressed charges on February 27 against 11-month-old Rubel and Arifur Rahman, who died in 2013, in the case filed by Habib on charges of vandalising his house in the capital's Mirpur and stealing Tk 25,000, two gold chains and a mobile phone.

The court came up with yesterday's orders after scrutinising a statement submitted by SI Maruful on May 28 apologising over the issue.

Complainant Habibur was supposed to give an explanation before the court yesterday for accusing an infant and a dead man in the case. But he sought seven days in this regard.

The court however rejected his prayer. While passing the order, the magistrate said Habibur, a neighbour of the child and the dead man, filed the case against the two though he had known both of them.

Maruful showed neglect while pressing the charges against them. So, legal action should be taken against them, the magistrate said.

The SI, after an eight-month-long probe, pressed charges against Rubel, Arifur and 21 others. He was suspended by the police headquarters on May 14.

In his statement, Marufur said after the case was filed, the police visited the scene, recorded witnesses' accounts and interrogated the neighbours.

“Once the incident was found to be true, I have submitted the charge sheet, but accusing a toddler and a dead man was an inadvertent mistake,” reads his statement.