Two NGO staff tortured, videographed indecently in Cumilla
Two staff, including a female, of a non-government organisation (NGO) have been kidnapped, tortured, and extorted at Chandina of Cumilla.
The incident took place in the evening on Monday in a garden near the Tulatali Dakshinpara Dighi in Chandina municipality.
According to the victims, when they were returning after collecting loan installments, four local youths forcibly took them to a garden. They tied the duo to a tree, gave electric shocks to the male, and videographed the female indecently.
They later threatened to spread the video on social media and collected money from her sister. Sensing the incident, locals stepped in and chased the attackers away. On information, a police team went there and took the victims to the upazila health complex.
The male staff filed a case over the incident on Tuesday, accusing four people. The accused are residents of Tulatali, but the police did not disclose their names.
In this regard, Najmul Huda, officer-in-charge of Chandina police station, told Prothom Alo that the male victim filed the case on charge of extortion and ransom. They are conducting an operation to arrest the accused.
The victims said they went to Tulatali village to collect loan repayments after Iftar on Monday. As they were leaving, four youths obstructed them and forcibly took them near a fish farm. They robbed the collected money there, and took them to a secluded garden near Dakshinpara Dighi.
The youths tied the male staff to a tree and gave him electric shock, while the female was tied and videographed indecently. With a threat of spreading the video on social media, the female was forced to call her sister, who transferred Tk 20,000 to the youths via bKash as per the youths' instruction.
Their torture continued even after the payment. At one stage, the locals sensed the matter and chased the youths away.
The plaintiff said he lost his strength to shout due to the torture, while his colleague could not make sound as she was gagged. At one point, she managed to scream for help, attracting the attention of the locals.