RAB yet to ascertain the owner of gun used to shoot Sinha

The investigating team of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) are yet to ascertain the owner of the weapon that was used to shoot former army major Sinha Md Rashed Khan. The RAB team seized the firearm used by SI Nandadulal Rakshit, who was on the spot at the time of the murder, for forensic tests.

The investigating agency has also taken three APBn members, arrested in the Sinha murder case, on remand for questioning. They will be brought face to face three other accused including Teknaf police station OC Pradeep Kumas Das.

A source close to the investigation said Nandadulal, one of the accused in the Sinha murder case and the investigating officer of the case police filed, claimed that inspector Liaqat fired at Sinha taking his weapon. According to Arms Act, no one other than the person for whom the weapon is allocated can use it. It is being investigated whether there was any deviation of this law at Shamlapur check post in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar on 31 July.

Investigation officer ASP Khairul Islam said, “Our only objective is to find the right evidence by combining all the information we are gathering.”

A Cox’s Bazar district police official said that after Sinha’s murder, all the weapons including that of Liaqat, Pradeep and Nandadulal were kept at the jail’s warehouse. Sinha was shot with a Torres-Nine MM pistol. This pistol bought from Brazil is used by members of the police force. Bullets are also officially allocated with these weapons. After the incident, inspector Liaqat showed four of the 30 bullets were used and stored 26 bullets in the malkhana. Nandadulal deposited his weapons and 30 allotted bullets. He noted that he did not use any bullet.

Officials investigating the Sinha murder case said Nandadulal’s weapon would be tested to find out whether bullets were fired or not.

RAB director (law and media) lieutenant colonel Ashiq Billah told Prothom Alo, “It would not be right to say that Liaqat shot Sinha with Nandadulal’s gun. We’ve brought all the evidences including weapons. Everything is being investigated.”

RAB has taken three more accused in the Rashed Khan murder case on remand for seven days for questioning. They were taken to the RAB-15 office from Cox’s Bazar district jail Saturday noon.

The accused are -- Armed Police Battalion (APBn) member SI Shahjahan, constables Rajib and Md Abdullah.

The court granted a seven-day remand of them for questioning. The three accused were in charge of the Shamlapur check post on Marine Drive in Teknaf at the time of the incident.

Mokammel Hossain, superintendent of Cox’s Bazar district jail, told Prothom Alo that a team of RAB came to the jail around 12:15pm and took away three members of APBn.

Sinha, a former army major, was killed at police firing at Shamlapur check post on Marine Drive, Teknaf on the night of 31 July on his way back to the Nilima Resort in Himchhari, Cox’s Bazar. At that time, police arrested Sahedul Islam Sifat who was with Sinha. Shipra Debnath was later arrested from Nilima Resort. Both are now out on bail.

Ramu police station officer-in-charge Abul Khair has been summoned in court to explain the reason for making two lists of things seized from Shipra Debnath in Nilima Resort on the night of 31 July. Cox’s Bazar senior judicial magistrate Helal Uddin directed the OC to appear in person in court within seven working days to explain the reasons.

During the hearing on Thursday, the court wanted to know the reason for making two separate seizure lists in one case. Inspector Shafiqul Islam remained silent. At that time, the court rejected his application and upheld the order of handing over the seized goods to RAB.

Ramu police station OC Abul Khair said he had received a summon from the court and would appear in court within seven working days.