Taking of testimony deferred due to lockdown

The witness testimonies in the Major (Retd) Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan murder case is being delayed due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown.

Advocate Faridul Alam, public prosecutor (PP) of the Cox's Bazar District and Sessions Judge's Court, said the testimonies could not be taken on the predetermined day as court proceedings across the country have been suspended amid the ongoing countrywide lockdown.

Advocate Faridul Alam said, "On June 27, Cox's Bazar District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Ismail framed the case in the presence of all the accused and fixed July 26, 27 and 28 as the date for the testimonies of 10 witnesses, including the plaintiff."

But it was postponed due to the lockdown and a new date will be set, the advocate also added.

Major Sinha (Retd) was shot dead by the police at Shamlapur check post under Baharchhara union in Teknaf Upazila on July 31 last year. Sinha's sister filed a murder case with the Cox's Bazar Senior Judicial Magistrate's Court accusing nine people, including then OC Pradeep and inspector Liakat Ali on August 5. All nine policemen accused were dismissed from the force.

Baharchhara police investigation centre inspector Liaquat Ali was made the main accused, former Teknaf police officer-in-charge Pradeep Kumar Das was made the second accused and Sub-Inspector (SI) Nandadulal Rakshit was made the third accused in the case.

RAB-15 got the responsibility of investigating the case.

Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Mohammad Khairul Islam, investigating officer of RAB-15, filed the chargesheet in the case on December 13 last year, accusing 15 people and naming 83 witnesses, after more than four months of investigation.

The 15 accused in the case detained in jail are suspended inspector of Baharchhara police outpost Liakat Ali, OC of Teknaf police station Pradeep Kumar Das, Rubel Sharma, bodyguard, Teknaf Police Station SI Nandadulal Rakshit, ASI Liton Mia, constables Safanur Karim, Kamal Hossain, Abdullah Al Mamun, Sagar Deb, Md Rajiv and Md Abdullah, and SI of APBN Md Shahjahan.

Nurul Amin of Marishbunia village of Shamlapur of Baharchhara union of Teknaf, Md Nizamuddin and Ayaz Uddin are witnesses in the police case.

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Benazir Ahmed and RAB Director General (DG) Chowdhury Abdullah Al Mamun came to Cox's Bazar on July 25, a day before the scheduled date of the testimony of the case.

They arrived at Cox's Bazar Airport on July 25 at around 11:30 am in separate helicopters. At the time Cox's Bazar Superintendent of Police Hasanuzzaman welcomed them. Benazir also visited various police camps in the district.

District police said the IGP is scheduled to visit the APBN police camp and Rohingya camp in Ukhiya on Monday and he will leave Cox's Bazar for Dhaka on July 27 in the morning.