Sinha killing Govt body to quiz Pradeep, Liyakat, Nanda today at jail

The government-instituted high-powered inquiry committee is set to interrogate today the prime suspects over the shooting death of retired major Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan in Cox’s Bazar marine drive area on July 31.

The suspects are — Baharchara Investigation Centre suspended in-charge inspector Md Liyakat Ali, Teknaf police station suspended officer-in-charge Pradeep Kumar Das and one of the sub-inspectors inside Cox’s Bazar prison. 

‘We have completed interrogating most of the people involved in the incident, now we are set to interrogate the last three persons, including Pradeep inside the jail on Monday,’ the government-instituted committee chair additional divisional commissioner Mizanur Rahman told New Age on Sunday.

On August 6, a judicial magistrate court allowed interrogation of the three suspects — Teknaf police station’s suspended officer-in-charge Pradeep Kumar  Das, Baharcchara Investigation Centre suspended in-charge Inspector Md Liyakat Ali, who reportedly shot Sinha, and their sub-inspector Nanda Dulal Rakshit — in custody for seven days in connection with the case filed on August 5 by the victim’s eldest sister Sharmen Shahria Ferdush.

But the investigating agency, Rapid Action Battalion, was yet to take them to their custody. The officials said it would be the first formal interrogation of Pradeep and two others by any of the authorities. 

Mianur also told reporters in Cox’s Bazar that they would submit their report by August 23.

The four-member committee on Sunday in a public hearing at Shamlapur Rohingya camp in-charge office enlisted 11 witnesses, but later recorded testimonies of nine of them.

The 11 included local villagers Saiful Afsar, Ansarul Alam, Abul Hamid, Delwar Hossain, Nurul Amin, Jakir, Rashid Ahmed, Mohammad Amin.

‘We were assigned to report on how the shooting took place and what was the reason behind it as well as what the recommendation would be to stop the recurrence of such incidents,’ said Mizanur.

The committee comprising three representatives from public administration, police and army was initially given seven working days to complete its work, but now it was extended until August 23, according to the home ministry.

Mizanur said they interrogated over 60 people, including the police officers and rankers on duty, the driver who ferried the major to the hospital, besides writing to different agencies seeking their cooperation in supplying any evidence that would help the progress of the inquiry.

Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan, 36, who took early retirement from the Bangladesh Army in November 2018, was shot dead at a police check point on Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive at Shamlapur under Teknaf upazila in Cox’s Bazar on July 31.

Following the death, a first information report filed by sub-inspector Nanda Dulal Rakshit of Teknaf police station stated that Liyakat Ali, in-charge of Baharchhara Police Investigation Centre, fired four shots at the retired major allegedly to protect himself and the lives of his fellow officers.

Sinha’s associate videographer Shahadul Islam Sifat was arrested in two cases — one over the shooting death and another over the possession of illegal drugs — filed against him and he was in jail for 10 days before being released on bail. Shipra, another of Sinha’s associate, was also in jail in a drug-related case for nine days before being granted bail.

On August 6, a judicial magistrate court remanded three suspects — Teknaf police station suspended officer-in-charge Pradeep Kumar Das, Baharchara Investigation Centre suspended in-charge inspector Md Liyakat Ali and Teknaf police suspended sub-inspector Nanda Dulal Rakshit — in custody for seven days in connection with the case.

They were still in jail while the rest of the four police personnel are — assistant sub-inspector Liton Mia and constables Safanur Karim, Kamal Hossain and Abdullah Al Mamun are also now in the RAB custody.

They were interrogated by the inquiry committee in jail, the officials said.

Three witnesses — Nurul Amin, 21, Nizam Uddin, 42, and Ayas Uddin, 40 — who were initially named by the police in their First Information Report, were also arrested by the RAB on August 11 at Marishbunia area of Teknaf.

The inquiry team chief, Mizanur, told New Age that as the three were arrested by RAB hours before they were set to testify to the committee, it visited the jail on the following day and took their testimonies.

The committee visited the spot of incident thrice while visiting the hilly area where Sinha along with his camera operator Sifat was seen publicly. 

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net