Major Sinha’s killing took only one and a half minutes: RAB

Retired army major Sinha Md Rashed Khan was gunned down in just one and a half minutes, according to RAB Additional Director General (Operations) Colonel Tofail Mostafa Sarwar.

“The killing of Major Sinha is being analysed deeply. Every second of this one-and-a-half-minute incident is very important.

“We have gathered all the information and evidence linked to the incident,” the RAB ADG said after visiting the crime scene (Shamlapur check post in Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf) on Friday.

A RAB team, headed by investigating officer of the case started by Sinha’s sister, took all three main murder accused, Inspector Liaqat Ali, OC Pradip Kumar Das and SI Nanda Dulal Raxit, to the crime scene around 1 pm.

The ADG took questions from the press about the information the elite force gathered after visiting the crime scene with the accused.

Col Tofail said, “What Liaqat is saying is that Sinha pointed a pistol at the policemen. What did actually create the situation so critical in this one-and-a-half minutes that led Sinha to brandish his gun? Why did the inspector shoot Sinha?”

“The investigating officer took the accused to the crime scene to be satisfied with the information he has gathered,” he added.

Sinha, 36, was a member of the Special Security Force tasked with guarding the prime minister. His father late Ershad Khan was a deputy secretary at the finance ministry.

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 on Jul 31 night, police said they fired in self-defence when he brandished a pistol after obstructing a search of his vehicle at the checkpoint at Shamlapur along the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive.

Sinha’s elder sister Sharmin Shahria Ferdous filed a case against nine policemen over the incident.

Former Teknaf police chief Pradip and a former in-charge of Baharchhara investigation centre Inspector Liakat were suspended. Two other policemen named in the case are still absconding.