Before retired army major Sinha Md Rashed Khan was killed, the officer-in-charge (OC) of Teknaf police station Pradeep Kumar Das had instructed the Baharchhara information centre’s inspector Liaqat Ali to keep a look out for the members of Sinha's video team. Liaqat Ali revealed this during interrogations after his arrest and also in his deposition in court, said sources.
In his deposition he gave details of the circumstances under which he shot Sinha.
Cox’s Bazar’s senior judicial magistrate Tamanna Farah on Sunday recorded Liaqat Ali’s testimony. Another accused in the case, Nandadulal Rakkhit, gave his deposition in the same court on Monday. Later, both of them were sent to jail.
With this, so far five accused in this case have given confessional statements under Section 164. Before these two, depositions were given by three members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) SI Md Shahjahan, constable Md Rajib and Md Abdullah.
Of the 13 persons arrested in the case, five members of the police force including OC Pradeep, and three village residents, are still on remand. OC Pradeep was brought to the court for his deposition on Monday, but he refused to give testimony and so was taken on remand for the fourth time, this time for one day.
The accused are given three hours before they give their confessional statements in court. Once their statements are recorded, these are handed over by the court in a sealed envelope to the investigating officer, with the condition of keeping these confidential.
Investigating officer of the case, assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Khairul Islam, told newspersons that during interrogations, inspector Liaqat Ali and SI Nandadulal Rakkhit had revealed important information in the case. However, this could not be made public in the interests of the investigations.
Sub-inspector Nandadulal Rakkhit was taken to court around 9:45am on Monday. After he gave his testimony, he was taken at around 3:30pm by prison van back to the district jail.
Pradeep on remand
Cox’s Bazar senior judicial magistrate Farah Tamanna on Monday granted permission for the prime accused in the case, Pradeep Kumar Das, to be taken on another day’s remand. Earlier, he was taken on remand thrice and interrogated for a 14-day stretch.
Retired army major Sinha Md Rashed Khan had been shot dead by police at the Shamlapur check post in Teknaf 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.
Appeal to show Pradip arrested under ACC case
An appeal has been made to show suspended OC Pradeep Kumar Das as arrested under the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), accusing him of illegally amassing wealth of around Tk 40 million (Tk 4 crore). This appeal was made on Monday at the court of Chattogram metropolitan sessions judge Sheikh Ashfaqur Rahman.
ACC court inspector Emran Hossain, speaking to Prothom Alo, said the court has set 14 September as the date for hearing the appeal.
ACC assistant director Reaz Uddin filed this case against Pradeep Kumar Das and his wife Chumki Karon on 23 August at the Chattogram divisional office of the commission.
It was said that Pradeep has accumulated the wealth by taking bribes and other forms of corruption and had brought property with this in his wife’s name.
Pradeep’s wife went into hiding since his arrest.