Cumilla family lynching: Police get 3 days to interrogate 8 suspects

On the morning of Jul 3, a group of people gathered, entered their home, and beat a woman, her son and daughter to death

A court has granted police three days to question eight suspects in a case over the lynching of a woman, her son, and her daughter in Cumilla’s Muradnagar.

Court Police Inspector Sadekur Rahman said on Wednesday that Sub-Inspector Abu Taher of Bangra Police Station, the investigating officer in the case, had petitioned for them to be handed over to police custody for seven days for interrogation. After a hearing, Judicial Magistrate Mominul Haque approved their questioning for three days in custody.

The suspects were identified as Koroibari village residents Md Sabbir Ahmed, 48, Md Nazim Uddin Babul, 56, Bachchu Mia, Rabiul Awal, 55, Dulal, 5, Atikur Rahman, 42, Boyez Master, 43, and Akash, 24.

On Jul 3, a group of men attacked the home of the family over allegations they were involved in drug trafficking and other crimes.

Roksana Begum aka Rubi, 53, her son Rasel Mia, 35, and her daughter Taspia Akhtar aka Jonaki, 29, were killed at the scene.

Another of Rubi’s daughters, 28-year-old Ruma Akhtar, was injured in the incident and is receiving medical treatment in Dhaka.

Locals claim the family had been involved in drug trafficking for a long time, and it led to the attack.

But members of the family dispute the allegation, saying that the theft of a mobile phone had led to a power struggle in the area, resulting in a pre-planned attack.

The case has been transferred to the district police’s Detective Branch. Nayan Kumar Chakrabarty has been assigned as the investigating officer in the case.