Rangpur lynching: Probe body formed to investigate the deaths
Fearing arrests, male members of the neighbouring villages have gone into hiding
A three-member body has been formed to investigate the death of two men in a mob attack over suspicion of their involvement in stealing in Taraganj Upazila of Rangpur district on 9 August.
Rangpur's Superintendent of Police (SP) Abu Saim said the probe panel, led by C-Circle ASP Asifa Afroz Adhri, was formed last night (13 August) with an instruction to submit a report on it within three working days.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Taraganj Police Station MA Faruk and another police official will assist ASP Asifa Afroz, said the SP.
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Earlier last night, eight police personnel, including two sub-inspectors, were suspended for their alleged negligence in performing duty during the lynching of two men.
Those suspended are Taraganj Police Station's sub-inspectors Abu Zobayer and Shafiqul Islam, constables Farikud Akhtar Zaman, Dhiraj Kumar Roy, Hasan Ali, Firoz Kabir, Moktar Hossain and Babul Chandra Roy.
They were attached to the district police lines.
On the other hand, SI Abu Zobayer, who was the investigating officer (IO) in a case filed over the incident, was also relieved of investigation duties.
Inspector (Investigation) Rafiqul Islam was appointed as the new IO for the case.
On 9 August, Ruplal Das and his son-in-law Pradip Das were beaten to death by a mob who suspected them of theft on the Taraganj-Kazirhat road in Bottola at around 9:30pm.
Locals said Ruplal's eldest daughter Nupur Das was engaged to one Dipjol Das from Shyampur area in Mithapukur upazila of the district.
Pradip Das, Ruplal's nephew-in-law, was travelling by a rickshaw van from Mithapukur upazila to finalise the marriage date.
Confused over the route in Taraganj, Pradip Das contacted Ruplal, who joined him and they continued to move towards Ghanirampur village of Mithapurkur by the rickshaw van.
Around 9pm, a group of villagers detained them in Bottola area on suspicion of their involvement in theft.
Locals also discovered four plastic bottles from the van, one of which spread an odor that caused two locals, Alamgir Hossain and Mehedi Hasan, to feel unwell.
As the situation worsened, the mob then beat the duo to death.
Meanwhile, four people have been arrested as two cases were filed in this connection.
Fearing arrests, male members of the neighbouring villages have gone into hiding.
