Magura child rape: Police fail to produce accused for remand hearing amid protest for justice near court premises
"We had the remand application and other documents prepared since last night. But we could not take the risk of presenting the accused in court. The protesters surrounded the court gates all day long. They were talking about handing over the accused to them," reports Prothom Alo, quoting an unnamed police official
The remand hearing of four accused, arrested in the case filed over the rape of an eight-year-old girl in Magura, could not be held today (9 March) as law enforcers could not produce them due to security risks amid a student protest demanding justice in the incident near the court premises, reports Prothom Alo, citing an anonymous police official.
The police have yet to issue an official statement in this regard.
"We had the remand application and other documents prepared since last night. But we could not take the risk of presenting the accused in court. The protesters surrounded the court gates all day long. They were talking about handing over the accused to them," reports Prothom Alo, quoting an unnamed police official
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"Who will take responsibility if the accused are attacked or worse while being brought to court? Those who are agitating for justice will have to be patient. If the investigation is delayed because of them, who will take the responsibility?" the official added.
Earlier in the day, students brought out a procession from Magura Government Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy College and marched towards Magura Chief Judicial Magistrate court.
Later, they blocked Dhaka-Khulna highway at Bhaina bus stand.
The mother of the victim filed a case over the incident against four people with the Sadar Police Station on Saturday (8 March) afternoon.
The arrestees were Hitu Sheikh, 50, Sajib Sheikh, 22, Ratul Sheikh, 25 and Zayeda Khatun, 40 of Nijnanduali village in Magura's Sadar upazila.
The accused were sent to jail when police produced them before the court on Saturday.
Earlier on Friday, a group of students surrounded the Magura Sadar Police Station, demanding justice.
The eight-year-old girl, a class III student, was raped when she visited her sister's in-laws' house at Nijnanduali village in Magura's Sadar upazila.
