Rangpur lynching: 8 police officers suspended over negligence in duty

Eight police personnel, including two sub-inspectors, were suspended for their alleged negligence in performing duty during the lynching of two men in Taraganj upazila of Rangpur district on 9 August.

Rangpur Superintendent of Police (SP) Abu Saim informed this yesterday night (13 August), citing that the suspended cops were assigned to the mobile team in Taraganj at the time of the incident.

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.

SP Saim said that SI Abu Zobayer, who was the investigating officer (IO) in the case, was also relieved of investigation duties. Inspector (Investigation) Rafiqul Islam has been appointed as the new IO for the case.

On 9 August, father-in-law Ruplal Das and son-in-law Pradip Das were beaten to death by a mob who suspected them of theft on the Taraganj-Kazirhat road in Bottola around 9:30pm.

Locals said Ruplal's eldest daughter Nupur Das was engaged to Dipzol Das from Shyampur, Mithapukur upazila of the district.

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Pradip Das, Ruplal's nephew-in-law, was traveling by van from Mithapukur to finalize the marriage date.

Confused over the route in Taraganj, Pradip Das contacted Ruplal, who joined him, and they continued toward Ghanirampur village by rickshaw van.

Around 9pm, in Bottola a group of villagers detained them on suspicion of theft.

Locals discovered four small plastic bottles from the van, one of which emitted a strong odor that caused two men, Alamgir Hossain and Mehedi Hasan, to feel unwell.

As the situation worsened, the mob beat the duo to death.

Two separate cases were filed in this connection and several people have so far been arrested.