CROSSFIRE KILLING12 policemen, 7 others face arrest

Natore, May 12 (bdnews24.com)-- A court in Natore has ordered the arrest of 12 policemen and seven others for the cold-blooded murder of a 32-year man and then trying to pass it on as a killing in crossfire.

Additional chief judicial magistrate Mohammad Aktaruzzuman issued the arrest warrant on Monday as a judicial inquiry found the allegation against the suspects true.

The policemen are former officer in charge of Singra Police Station Abu Bakkar, sub-inspector Liaquat Ali, assistant sub-inspector Pradyut Kar and constables Jasim, Asir Uddin, Kamal, Motaleb alias Sanu, Kashem, Anwar, Mofiz and Hafizur Rahman, an Ansar member.

The other seven -- Selim, Hanif, Firoz, Amzad Hossain, Kuddus, Rashid and Mozibor -- are local people, who allegedly helped the policemen arrest the youth, Ansar Ali of Bamihal village under Singra upazila on July 23 last year.

The man was killed three days later.

Singra police assistant sub-inspector Jasimuddin filed a case on July 27 with the same police station stating that Ansar and other 'robbers' had opened fire at the police when they had been passing by Kakian forest. Ansar was killed as the police retaliated, the police claimed in the case statement.

But judicial inquiry carried out by magistrate Mahmudul Hassan found that Ansar Ali had been killed in police custody.

"He was not killed in crossfire. He was tortured to death at the police station in a planned way," the inquiry report reads.

The report wonders how the victim would join with robbers in Kakian forest, 25 kilometers off the police station, when he had been in police custody.

Ansar's father on August 17 had filed the case with the additional chief judicial magistrate, who ordered the inquiry.

Plaintiff's lawyer Abul Kalam Azad told bdnews24.com: "The complaint has been proved genuine despite the fact that it's very difficult to prove any allegation against the police."

Main accused Singra thana former OC Abu Bakkar claimed: "Ansard had not died in police custody. We will face the matter legally."

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