Allegations pile up against OC Pradeep, Liyakat

More allegations have surfaced against suspended and arrested Teknaf police officer-in-charge Pradeep Kumar Das and inspector Liyakat Ali in Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram since the recent murder of retired army major Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan in police shooting.

At least six cases were filed against OC Pradeep following the murder of Sina on July 31 in Cox’s Bazar Marine Drive area, drawing widespread criticism. 

Cox’s Bazar court public prosecutor Faridul Alam told New Age that at least four cases were filed with the courts against Pradeep since the Sinha murder.

All of those were related to killing or threatening to kill in ‘crossfire’, the lawyer  added.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Commission on Sunday filed a case against OC Pradeep and his wife Chumki Karon on charges of accumulating illegal wealth and laundering about Tk 3.95 crore.

Pradeep, Baharchara police investigation centre in-charge inspector Liyakat Ali, who reportedly shot dead Sinha, and five others were arrested on August 6 over the killing of ex-major Sinha in police firing at a check post in Cox’s Bazar on July 31.

Pradeep took charge of Teknaf police station on October 19, 2018 and since then over hundred people were killed in reported gunfight incidents with the police, said the district’s senior police officers.

Since the murder, a torrent of allegations started to pour in, including intimidation, extortion, arbitrary detention, bribery, and threatening to kill people.

Complaints against OC Pradeep police over his involvement in various acts of brutalities and misdeeds also started to surface.

Recently, a woman named Sanoara Begum filed a case with the Cox’s Bazar senior judicial magistrate court against Pradeep and 11 other cops on Thursday in charge of killing her husband in ‘crossfire’ even after Tk 5 lakh as bribe was accepted by Pradeep to ensure his release, said public prosecutor Faridul.

Earlier on Wednesday, Nurul Hossain, brother of a victim of extrajudicial killing in March 2019, filed a complaint with the court of a senior judicial magistrate in Cox’s Bazar against suspended OC Pradeep and sub-inspector Deepak Biswash and 21 others.

The RAB has been investigating the ex-Major Sinha’s shooting death case in which Pradeep and Liyakat are two of the prime accused.

When approached, RAB legal and media wing director Ashique Billah said that they were investigating the murder case after being asked by the court. If the court instructs, they would also investigate the other cases, he added.

The court asked CID to investigate after Gol Seher, mother of a victim of an extrajudicial killing on August 18 filed a complaint with the court of a senior judicial magistrate in Cox’s Bazar against Pradeep and 27 others.

She alleged that her son Saddam Hossain was killed in a reported crossfire on July 7 despite Tk 5 lakh was paid as bribe.

Before that, Hamida Akter, widow of salt trader Abdus Sattar, who was killed in a reported crossfire in 2017, on August 12 filed a complaint with the Maheskhali judicial magistrate’s court for the killing against the then Maheskhali police station officer-in-charge Pradeep and 28 others.

Meanwhile, a complaint was lodged on Wednesday with a Chattogram court against seven people, including Inspector Liyakat Ali for allegedly threatening to kill a businessman, Jashim Uddin, in ‘crossfire’ and demanding Tk 5 lakh.

Few days before the Sinha murder, a video footage of then Teknaf police OC Pradeep went viral in social media where he threatened people engaged in drug trading of ‘ghostly attacks’.

The drug traders and smugglers will be uprooted and their houses, businesses and other properties would be torched, OC Pradeep was saying in the footage.

These remarks then drew criticism from different social-political groups and human rights activists.

The Cox’s Bazar police superintendent ABM Masud Hossain told New Age that ‘since the cases are being lodged in courts, the courts will decide what to do and how to investigate the complaints. Police will also act in accordance with the courts’ instruction.’

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net