Child in charge sheet: Court asks for legal action against SI, complainant

A Dhaka court today directed the officer-in-charge of Mirpur Police Station to take legal action against a sub-inspector, who pressed charges against an 11-month child and a dead man in a theft and vandalism case.

The court also asked the authorities concerned to take action against the complainant, Habibur Rahman, for filing the case against 11-month-old Rubel and Arifur Rahman, the dead man.

Read More: Child in Charge Sheet: Suspended cop says sorry

Metropolitan Magistrate Khurshid Alam also ordered Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation into the case.

Sub-Inspector Maruful Islam pressed charges on February 27 implicating Rubel and Arifur Rahman in the case filed by Habibur on charges of vandalising his house in the capital's Mirpur and stealing Tk 25,000, two gold chains and a mobile phone in June last year.

Metropolitan Magistrate Khurshid Alam came up with today’s orders after scrutinising a statement submitted by the SI on May 28 apologising over the issue.

While passing order, the magistrate said Habibur, a neighbour of the child and the dead man, filed the case against the two though he knew the accused. 

Marufur showed negligence while pressing charges against them. So, legal action should be taken against them, the magistrate said.

The SI, after an eight-month-long probe, pressed charges against Rubel, Arifur and 21 others. On May 14, he was suspended by police headquarters.

In his statement, Marufur mentioned that after the case was filed, police visited the scene, recorded witnesses' accounts, and interrogated neighbours.

“Once the incident was found to be true, I have submitted the charge sheet but accusing a toddler and a dead man was an inadvertent mistake,” read the statement.

Source: thedailystar