11 athletes, coach arrested in Rajshahi for ‘beating’ cop; 7 land in jail

Eleven athletes, including three under-17 players, and a coach, who participated in the just-concluded Sheikh Kamal 2nd Bangladesh Youth Games in Dhaka, were arrested in Rajshahi on charges of 'beating' a police officer and 'stealing' his wife's ornaments, reports UNB.

The arrestees are Brishti Moni, 16, Jemi Akter, 14, Rimi Khanan, 17, Farhana Khandokar, 17, Sabrina Akter, 19, Dipali, 19, Papia Sarwar Purnima, 19, Khadiza Khatun, 18, Abdul Al Jahid, 16, Ali Azam, 19, Ramjan, 19, Akash Ali Mohan, 20, and coach Ahsan Kabir, 45.

Belal Hossain, a relative of a minor female athlete said, the athletes and the coach returned to Rajshahi by Dhumketu Express train from Dhaka Sunday noon.

Police constable Golam Kibria assaulted a female athlete while the athletes were searching for their missing luggage after the train reached Rajshahi rail station, he alleged.

"He attacked another athlete as well. After they got off the train a fight erupted again," he said.

He also said railway police took them to the police station to settle the matter but later filed a case against them.

Gopal Kumar, officer in charge of Rajshahi railway police station, said, police constable Golam Kibria's wife Sultana Razia Sultana filed the case against athletes alleging that they beat up her husband and stole her gold chain.

Kibria was sent to the Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital, he said.

He also said that the police officer's brother Golam Sarwar, also a witness in the case, denied any incident inside the train.

"He claimed they had a dispute over getting off the train, and then a fight erupted," said the OC.

Liton Hossain, acting chief judicial magistrate of the chief judicial magistrate court of Rajshahi, sent seven of the accused athletes to jail when they were produced before the court.

Women and Child repression Prevention Tribunal-2 granted the minors and women athletes interim bail till 10:00am on Monday.

The lawyer of the accused, Mainul Islam said, there's no specific allegation against the minors.

"Judge Md. Hasanuzzaman will give the final decision after the full hearing on Monday," he said.