OC suspended over forced marriage of Pabna gang rape victim
A circular signed by Assistant Inspector General (personal management) Abdullahil Baki on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, Jabed Patwari stated the transfer of Obaidul Haque to Chattogram range
The Police Headquarters today suspended the recently withdrawn officer in charge (OC) Obaidul Haque of Pabna Sadar police station for involvement in the forced marriage of a gang rape victim to one of the rapists.
On Wednesday evening, Additional Police Superintendent of Sadar Circle, Ibne Mizan, confirmed the news of the suspension to The Business Standard.
A circular signed by Assistant Inspector General (personal management) Abdullahil Baki on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, Jabed Patwari also stated the transfer of Obaidul Haque to Chattogram range.
Ibne Mizan said, "After the incident of the forced marriage of a gang rape victim with one of the rapists caught the media's attention, a police investigation found that OC Obaidul Haque and Sub Inspector (SI) Ekramul Haque were involved in the incident."
Ibne Mizan also said: "Pabna Police Super Sheikh Rafiqul Islam closed the OC and suspended the SI on September 12. The report was sent to Police Headquarters, and after it was reviewed, a circular was released on Tuesday night stating the suspension of Obaidul."
The deputy commissioner formed an investigation team on the directions of the council of ministers. The team's report revealed that the woman had indeed been gang raped, and that the OC had not filed a case. Instead he had forcibly tried to marry off the victim to one of the rapists. All this came to the media's attention. Pabna Deputy Commissioner, Kabir Mahmud sent the report to the Council of Ministers.
On August 29, the mother of three children was abducted by Russel, Dapunia Union Awami League joint secretary Shariful Islam Ghontu, Hossain, Osman and Sanju. They gang raped her for four days.
On September 5, she submitted a written allegation to the police station, but the police did not file any case. Instead the police officers tried to resolve the matter at the police station by compelling the rape victim to divorce her husband and marry Russel.
The accused were arrested after Pabna Police Super ordered the filing of the case on September 9.
