HC questions RAB probe neutrality

The High Court has questioned the neutrality of a RAB investigation into the alleged involvement of three of its members in the Narayanganj multiple murders.

Court CorrespondentSupreme bdnews24.com
Published : 4 June 2014, 04:06 PM
Updated : 4 June 2014, 05:57 PM

The bench of Justice Md Rezaul Haque and Justice Gobindra Chandra Tagore expressed misgivings on Wednesday on seeing a report on the probe’s progress.

The bench had earlier asked RAB to refrain from probing the incident.

The administrative investigation committee, formed at the High Court’s behest, submitted its second progress report to the court on Wednesday.

File Photo

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam presented four reports, including the ones of Detective Branch of Police and Criminal Investigation Department, to the court the same day.
The court fixed July 9 for the next hearing.
The bench asked the authorities concerned to inform it if their investigations ended before the next hearing date.
The court also asked the government to ensure security of the witnesses.

After the hearing, the attorney general told reporters that he did not find anything in the report that the three former RAB officers were involved in the incident.

One of the three officers -- Arif Hossain -- gave confessional statement in the Narayanganj trial court under the Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code on Wednesday.

The High Court had ordered investigation into RAB personnel’s alleged involvement in the abductions and murders of seven people, including Narayanganj councillor Nazrul Islam and lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarker.

Their bodies were found floating on the Shitalakhyya River on Apr 30, several days after their abductions.

The court ordered formation of an administrative committee to conduct the probe. It had also asked CID to help DB in their investigation.

Thought the High Court asked RAB to refrain from the investigation into the incident, it ordered inquiry into the involvement of the agency’s members in it.

The court said it ordered more than one investigations to ensure that no big difference happened in the probe.

“The DB is conducting probe. They will do conduct the probe. The evidence will be with them. If any other investigation finds any allegation against anyone anew, it will let the (DB) investigation officer know,” it said.

The court said it asked CID to carry out investigation. But that has to be done without hampering the main (DB) probe.

If there are more than one investigations, it added, there may be slight difference between them, but a big difference cannot be there.

It said more than one investigations were ordered to ensure that no one involved was spared.

RAB in its progress report said it divided the probe into two phases. In the first, the agency questioned 56 people and recorded their statements under the Section 161.

The agency said it began the second-phase probe in which it is looking into if any RAB members were involved in the incident.

“Questioning outsiders may be needed for that. Six people have already been served notice.”

DB OC Mamunur Rashid Mandal is the investigation officer in the case.