CID ordered to probe killings, arson in Santal village

A Gaibandha court on Monday asked the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of police to probe the case filed over the killing of three Santal people, torching and looting their houses in Bagda Farm of Gobindaganj upazila on 6 November, 2016.

Judge Partha Bhadra of Gobindaganj Senior Judicial Magistrate Court passed the order after hearing a petition and fixed 3 February for the next hearing.

Sirajul Islam Babu, counsel of plaintiff Thomas Hembrom filed a naraji (no confidence) petition against the charge-sheet submitted by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) in the case as the names of the main accused in the investigation report, including some policemen, labour leader and officials of Rangpur Sugar Mills, were not included in it.

On 28 July, 2019, PBI submitted the charge-sheet against 90 people in the case.

According to the case statement, the Rangpur Sugar Mills authorities in connivance with police, local UP chairman, member and hired goons went to evict Santal people from Bagda farm village on 6 November, 2016, leading to a violent clash.

At one stage, local people, reportedly led by Sugar Mills GM Nazmul Huda and UP chairman Shakil Akand Bulbul, torched houses and fired shots on Santals, leaving three of them dead.

Nine policemen were also injured by arrows thrown by Santal people during the clash.

On 21 November, 2016, Swapan Murmu and Thomas Hembrom, members of the community, filed a case with Gobindaganj police station in connection with the attack.