Allegations Against Cops: HC for quick probe, action

The inspector general of police needs to take necessary measures to ensure quick probe into allegations against law enforcers and actions against those found guilty, the High Court has observed in the full text of a verdict.

“While conducting daily judicial proceedings, we often notice that various allegations are brought against the law enforcers, including local police officers in different areas, and the victims lodge written complaints with the office of inspector general of police. But the allegations are not disposed of quickly,” the HC said.

“The court also firmly believes that the IGP would make the functions of IGP Complaints Monitoring Cell more effective and speedy.”

In November 2017, Police Headquarters opened a complaint cell under IGP so that anybody can lodge complaint against misdeeds and mismanagement of the law enforcers.

People can lodge their complaints by calling from cell phones or by sending emails to the complaint cell, which will remain open round the clock.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman made the observation in its full judgment on a writ petition filed challenging the alleged manipulation of the first information report in labour leader Nurul Islam murder case in Rajshahi.

It delivered the short verdict on the petition on December 1.

In the full verdict released on Tuesday, the HC observed that the allegation against then officer-in- charge Shakil Uddin Ahamed of Rajshahi’s Puthia Police Station of manipulating the FIR in Nurul Islam murder case is undoubtedly grave, which is a punitive offence under sections 166 and 167 of the Penal Code.

The two sections of the Penal Code are included in the Anti-Corruption Commission Act-2004, the HC said.

It is the sole jurisdiction of the OC to investigate a case after it has been recorded with a police station, the court added.

The HC directed the chief judicial magistrate of Rajshahi, who conducted a judicial enquiry into the allegation, to send the probe report along with relevant documents and witnesses’ statements to the ACC.

The HC ordered the graft watchdog to initiate the next course of action based on the judicial enquiry report under the ACC Act-2004 and the ACC rules-2007 after receiving the documents from the chief judicial magistrate.

Rajshahi’s CJM Md Mehedi Hasan Talukder submitted the probe report to the HC last month, saying that the enquiry has found five police officials, including three additional superintendents of Rajshahi police and OC Shakil, responsible for manipulating the FIR.

The four other police officials are additional superintendents of police (administration and crimes) Mahmudul Hasan, M Matiur Rahman (DSB) and Abul Kalam Shahid (Puthia circle), and Inspector (investigation) Mohinul Islam of Puthia Police Station.

In the full verdict, the HC directed the investigation officer of the case to immediately transfer it to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) for investigation. It also expected that PBI chief Banaj Kumar Majumder would play a special role in supervising the probe.

The court asked the IGP to take departmental action against OC Shakil after conducting an enquiry into the allegation against him.

It mentioned that plaintiff Nigar Sultana and multiple people, including Shakil’s subordinate policemen and even his mother-in-law, lodged different allegations with the IGP.

The court observed that the police administration of Rajshahi showed irresponsibility and violated the law as it published the disputed confessional statement of a child arrested in connection with the case through issuing a press release to the media.

It ordered the IGP to take necessary measures in this regard after conducting a departmental enquiry.

The HC bench also directed the Rajshahi police administration to provide Nurul’s daughter Nigar, who filed the writ petition, her family members, witnesses of the case, and plaintiff’s lawyers with necessary security.

According to the petition, an election to Puthia Motor Sramik Union was held on April 24 this year, and Nurul contested the polls for the general secretary post.

The following day, the election results showed that Abdur Rahman Patal was elected general secretary of the Sramik Union.

Nurul lodged a case with a Rajshahi court on June 9, claiming that he bagged 602 votes against Patal’s 520, but the latter was declared elected illegally.

The court on the same day issued an injunction, restricting Patal and three others from taking up the posts of the Sramik Union. The order was imposed on them on June 10.

Nurul went missing around 8:00pm that day, and his body was recovered from SS Brick Field the next day.

His daughter Nigar filed a murder case on June 11 against eight people, including Patal.

In the FIR of the case, she alleged that then OC Shakil was involved in manipulating the election results in favour of Patal.

Police later submitted an FIR of the murder caseto the trial court in Rajshahi, dropping the names of the eight accused.

On September 16, the HC bench directed the Rajshahi CJM to conduct an enquiry into the alleged manipulation of the FIR by Shakil following the same writ petition.

It also issued a rule asking the government to explain why Shakil should not be suspended for manipulating the FIR. The same day, OC Shakil was suspended.

The HC said the IGP should take measures so that departmental enquiries into allegations against policemen are completed quickly, and actions against those found guilty are taken.