Liaqat says he was waiting for ‘robbers’ at the check post and shot Sinha

Liaqat Ali, the main accused in the killing of retired army major Sinha Md Rashed Khan, gave a 4 hour 45 minute deposition in court under Section 164 on Sunday. Sinha Md Rashed Khan has been shot dead by Liaqat Ali on the night of 31 July at the Shamlapur check post of Marine Drive in Teknaf.

Liaqat Ali was the in-charge of the Baharchhara police outpost in Teknaf at the time. He was a suspended police inspector too. According to sources, in his deposition Liaqat Ali tried to say that three persons from the Marishbunia village had phoned him and said that the man in army uniform (Sinha) was actually a member of a robber gang and was armed. He said he simply believed the villagers and waited at the check post to accost the ‘robber’. He admitted that Sinha was killed by his bullet.

Investigating officer of the case and RAB-15 assistant superintendent of police (ASP), Khairul Islam, told the media that Liaqat, taken on remand three times, had revealed important information about the Sinha killing during interrogations. He agreed to present his confessional statement in court. However, Khairul Islam said he did not know what Liaqat had said during his 4 hour 45 minute deposition in the court of Cox’s Bazar senior judicial magistrate Tamanna Farah.

Sources in the court said that at 11:45am Sunday morning, Liaqat was brought to the Cox’s Bazar court in a RAB vehicle. He was taken at around 12pm to the court of senior judicial magistrate Tamanna Farah to give his deposition. At around 5:00pm in the afternoon he was taken back to jail by a prison van. Liaqat underwent a medical checkup at the Cox’s Bazar sadar hospital before he made his statement in court.

Retired army major Sinha Md Rashed Khan had been shot dead by police at the Shamlapur check post on the night of 31 July while he was returning by Marine Drive to Nilima Resort in Himchhari, Cox’s Bazar, after filming a video at the Marishbunia hills in Teknaf. Police also arrested Shahedul Islam Sifat who was accompanying Sinha at the time. They later arrested his other associate Shipra Debnath from Nilima Resort. Sifat and Shipra have been freed on bail.

Liaqat Ali, according to sources, gave a detailed account in court of what occurred on the night of 31 July at the Shamlapur check post. He tried to say that the three persons of Marishbunia village, Nurul Amin, Nizam Uddin and Mohammed Aiyas, had called him over phone several times on the day of the incident, saying that the person in army uniform (Sinha) was actually a member of a robber gang and was armed. Liaqat easily believed them because there had been several instances of robbery committed by persons in army uniform. He then went by motorbike from the police outpost to the check post to catch the ‘robbers’.

Liaqat Ali admitted that Sinha was killed with his bullet. However, it is not known what Liaqat Ali said about whether Sinha had a gun in his hand when getting out of the car or not.

Sources say that in the police case filed at the Teknaf police station about the 31 July incident, it was said that Liaqat shot Sinha after Sinha had got out of the car and aimed his weapon at Liaqat. Sinha fell to the ground. He was then taken to the Cox’s Bazar sadar hospital where the physician declared him dead.

When asked how far the Sinha killing case had progressed, the investigating officer and RAB ASP Khairul Islam told the media that a lot of progress had been made. He said he could not elaborate further in the interests of investigation.

There are 13 persons arrested in the Sinha killing case. They are OC Pradeep Kumar Das, Liaqat Ali, Nandadulal Rakkhit, SI Liton Miah, constables Safanur Karim, Kamal Hossain and Abdullah Al Mamun, three APBn members SI Md Shahjahan, constable Md Rajib and Md Abdullah, and residents of Marishbunia in Teknaf, Nurul Amin, Nizam Uddin and Mohammed Aiyas.

Accused in the Sinha killing case, suspended officer-in-charge (OC) of Teknaf police station, Pradeep Kumar Das, Baharchhara police outpost in-charge inspector Liaqat Ali and sub-inspector (SI) of the police station, Nandadulal Rakkhit was taken on remand by RAB for the third time on Friday, this time for three days. Liaqat Ali gave his deposition on Sunday. When asked whether Pradeep Kumar Das and SI Nandadulal Rakkhit were giving their depositions, the investigation officer replied, “I cannot say at the moment.”