Shammi extortion attempt: Expelled Gonotantrik Chhatra Sangsad leader Apu in remand

A Dhaka court has placed Jane Alam Apu, the expelled joint convener of Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, on a four-day remand for allegedly demanding a Tk50 lakh extortion from the residence of Shammi Ahmed, a former member of parliament.

The order was issued today (2 August) by the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Nazmin Akhter following a hearing.

The investigating officer (IO) of the case, Police Inspector Moklesur Rahman of Gulshan Police Station, had presented the accused in court and requested a ten-day remand.

Apu's lawyers sought to annul the remand plea and requested bail, which was opposed by the state prosecutor. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court granted a four-day remand.

Apu denies role, blames co-accused

Meanwhile, Apu has claimed in court that only his co-accused, Riad, was involved in the extortion. He asserted that he and the others went to the location at Riad's request and were unaware of any extortion plot.

"None of us knew that there was any extortion involved. The remand application is completely unreasonable. What is written in the FIR and what is in the forwarding report don't match. I am being framed," Apu told the court.

The remand application, submitted by the IO, claimed that the accused are members of an organised extortion ring.

It stated that they (the accused) used the country's prevailing situation to introduce themselves as "student coordinators" and threatened various people, including the plaintiff in this case, to extort money.

The application also mentioned that their activities are being circulated on social media and that there are complaints in various police stations from other victims.

The investigating officer argued that a ten-day remand was necessary to uncover the true nature of the case, arrest other individuals involved and recover the Tk10 lakh taken from the plaintiff on 17 July.

During the hearing, the judge questioned the investigating officer about the discrepancy between the name in the FIR and the forwarding report. The officer explained that a nickname was used at the time of the incident and that the full, correct name was later identified from the national identity card.

However, Apu's lawyer argued against the remand, stating that the incident occurred at around 5:30pm on 26 July and that CCTV footage from the area could prove whether his client was present or not. They claimed the case was a "media trial" and lacked actual facts.

The incident

Jane Alam Apu, who had been on the run since the incident on 26 July, was arrested by the Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) from the Wari area of the capital yesterday.

According to the case statement filed by Shammi Ahmed's husband, Siddique Abu Zafar, on 17 July, a group of individuals including Abdur Razzak Bin Sulaiman alias Riad and Jane Alam Apu, identifying themselves as "coordinators" of the Students Against Discrimination, went to the AL lawmaker's residence.

They allegedly threatened Zafar and demanded Tk50 lakh and jewellery.

Fearing for his safety, Shammi's husband paid them Tk10 lakh. The group returned on 19 July, reiterating their threats and demanding the remaining Tk40 lakh.

DB Joint Commissioner Mohammad Nasirul Islam also confirmed the incidents yesterday to The Business Standard.

On 26 July, when the group returned again, Zafar called the police. A police team apprehended five individuals at the scene, including Riad, but Apu managed to escape. All five arrested individuals, who were also leaders of the SAD and the Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, were subsequently expelled from their organisations.

The case was filed by Siddique Abu Zafar against six named individuals. The police have already seized four bank cheque pages valued at Tk2.5 crore and recovered Tk2,98,000 in cash from Riad's possession at two different locations.