How Chandpur jeweller was traced after going into hiding with family

Police detained Pintu Das, 45, the jeweller from Chandpur who had gone into hiding with his family, in Chattogram.

Pintu Das was detained early Friday from Daspara in Dhalghat, Patiya upazila of Chattogram and was brought to Chandpur Model police station in the afternoon, where police grilled him about the reason for going into hiding.

At around 3:00 pm on Friday, Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime and Operations) Lutfur Rahman briefed the media about Pintu Das’s detention and questioning, providing details on how the jeweller went into hiding from Chandpur and how police traced him.

Pintu Das owns a jewellery shop called ‘SK Jewellers and Shilpalay’ at Akhand Market on Comilla Road in Chandpur city. He used to live in a rented house in the Kalibari Temple area of the city with his wife and two children. He has been accused of fleeing after allegedly embezzling money from various people, including money and mortgaged gold ornaments. As he could not be traced with his family after 19 August, questions arose as to whether he had gone missing or gone into hiding.

The briefing said Pintu Das fled with his family at around 2:45 am on the night of 19 August, taking most of their belongings from their rented house in Chandpur. Russell Khan, the owner of the building where he lived, filed a general diary (GD) with the police on 22 August.

Later, several police teams searched various places in Chandpur and Cumilla, including the homes of Pintu Das’s relatives and acquaintances, but he could not be traced.

Additional Superintendent of Police Md Lutfur Rahman said police were able to trace Pintu Das through the truck driver who had helped him flee. Police conducted a raid in Daspara, Dhalghat, Patiya, Chattogram, today and detained him along with his family. He was being questioned to determine why he went into hiding. A team from Dhaka police was set to arrive by evening to question him.

Lutfur Rahman further said three people from Chandpur have filed complaints with the police claiming that Pintu Das owes them gold and money.

However, no case has yet been filed against him. They would take the next legal steps after completing the questioning. They are also investigating whether there was any other motive behind his going into hiding with his entire family or whether there was any intention to disrupt communal harmony.

The officer-in-charge of Chandpur Model police station, along with other police officials and journalists from electronic and print media outlets in Chandpur, were present at the briefing.