Ms. Sagorika Haldar(16) Minority belonging to Hindu raped and murdered by Perpetrators on 25.07.2014 : An investigative report of Bangladesh Minority Watch- Police trying to suppress the facts:
Bangladesh Minority Watch (BDMW) received an application from mother and father of Ms.Sagorika Haldar requesting us for legal assistance as their minor girl was raped and killed by Muslim perpetrators on 25.07.2014 at about 5.30 p.m. at Joymondop within Singair Police
station of Manikgonj district.
Source: The daily “Sangbad” dated 28th July, 2014, The Daily “Bhorer
Kagoj” dated 28th July, 2014
Country: Bangladesh
Act: Rape and murder
Name of the victim: Ms. Sagorika Haldar (F) (16)
Date of birth : 20.06.1998
Father’s name : Avoy Haldar (45)
Mother’s Name : Ms. Lipi Haldar (36)
Religion : Hindu
Permanent Address: village – Nil Tek, Joymandop, Singair Police
station, Manikgonj district. B.Desh.
Date of occurrence: 25th of July, 2014 at about 5.30 p.m.
Place of occurrence: Within the homestead of victim at Joymandop,
Singair P.S., Manikgonj District.
Name of the perpetrators: 1) Abdur Razzak son of late Abdur Rashid @
Tuku of Joymondob 2) Palash son of Harunur Rashid @Labu and more others.
Date of investigation: 30th of July, 2014
Case Number: Singair P.S. case No.38 dated
26.07.2014 under section 306 of Penal code.
FACT OF THE CASE:
The victim was poor but brilliant HINDU student of Class IX (Nine) studying in Joymantop High School near her village. Her registration No. 1210792720 (Session 2012). On the date of occurrence the victim was at her home, but uneducated and simple father and mother was out of their home for business purpose. One Gurupada informed police that the dead body of Ms.Sagorika Haldar was found in her room adjacent with a ceiling fan after a quarreling amongst the victim and perpetrator Abdur Razzak. Abdur Razzak – the notorious women monger, without having any previous consent & without any lawful authority entered into the room of Ms. Sagorika and started to assault her closing the door with shoes because the victim reused sexual intercourse and cried for rescue; resulting serious injuries and she died. Police came and saw the dead body laid down on the ground. Police also managed to carry the dead body for post mortem at the nearest Hospital. But police did not record the case under proper
section of law.
INVESTIGATION: –
I, Adv. Rabindra Ghosh, Salam Newaz Leo Chowdhury, Dasharat Biswas of BDMW visited the place of occurrence at about 11.30 a.m. at the house of victim, found many witnesses, talked with father and mother of victim, talked with Md. Miran Hossain, Sub Inspector of Police (I.O.
of the case).
Most of the witnesses namely 1) Ms. Bharati Haldar, 2) Dilip Barman, 3) Chandan Ghosh, 4) Ms. Poly Haldar, 5) Azizul Hoque, 6) Mohammad Saiful Islam, 7) Ms. Lipi Haldar, 8) Madhab Haldar, 9)Ms.Subarna Haldar and father and mother vehemently protested for not recording the case under proper section of law.
We also observed that after the case is filed at the police station some of the perpetrators started to throw stones on their houses at night to create sense of insecurity amongst the Hindu communities intimidating not to proceed with the case. We also pointed out this fact to the notice of I.O. of the case and ultimately a General diary No. 1161 dated 30.07.14 has been filed by Dilip Barman(one of the witnesses) stating the intended threat and intimidation in our presence.
The witnesses gave us to understand that despite repeated requests made to law enforcing authority to take appropriate action against perpetrators, police neglected to take any measures to arrest the perpetrators; on the contrary, they deposed police took signatures from Ms. Lipi Haldar and Gurupada to frame a case as per their own wishes. We also interrogated Md. Miran Hossain, S.I. of Police and also Md. Saiduzzaman – Officer in Charge of Singair police station who does not like to confess their omission and lapses in recording the case under proper section of law. Police officer said “as per version of Ms.Lipi Haldar, we recorded the case” But Ms. Lipi Haldar said “ I was prevented from writing the F.I.R. on my own acccord” We also took written statements of real facts from the witnesses available at the spot and all of them demanded incorporation of section for rape and murder within the F.I.R.and they also demanded exemplary punishment of identified perpetrators responsible for rape and murder, which was also recorded by our video in presence of police officers.
We also talked with Md.Shadad Hossain- Local Chairman of Joymandap Union over his cell number -01717208523 who does not like to come to the spot at that time during our visit and said “ I am not bound by law to give you all information relating to rape and murder “ We also talked with Radhyesham Saha- Head Master of Joymantop High School ( Mobile No.01712361871) who also gave us to understand that the incident of rape and murder was very much painful and we want drastic action against the responsible perpetrators and at the same time “we want proper investigation by police in this case, we cannot rely upon words of the police officers”
We also visited Singair police station 6 kilometers away from the spot and met with Md. Saiduzzaman, Officer in Charge of Singair police station at about 3 p.m. and expressed our concern about the future course of action and perfunctory investigation made by them. We also brought the notice to police officers relating to putting wrong under section 306 of Penal code instead of Women and Children RepressionAct, 2003. The police officers also assured us that they would insert proper section after taking evidences on record by importing section
164 of Cr.P.C as per law.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Bangladesh Minority Watch is very much concerned about perfunctory
investigation by Police:-
1) The perpetrators of crime like rape and murder of minor school
girl should be arrested and they should be brought to book as per law
of the land;
2) The local police officers responsible for putting wrong
section of law in the F. I.R. creating scope of impunity to
perpetrators should be taken into notice to the Government of
Bangladesh.
3) The perfunctory investigation so far proceeded by Officer in
Charge of Singair police station is far from satisfactory and the
witnesses deposed during our fact-finding should be taken into
consideration by the authority concerned.
4) Continuous threat and intimidation made by perpetrators after
the occurrence throwing stones on the houses of minority victims
should be stopped.
5) The U.D. Case so far filed by Police being U.D case No.23/14
is totally false and filed with ulterior motive with a view to
suppress the material facts of rape and murder of minority victim.
6) The state should protect and preserve minorities implementing
the Declaration on the Elimination of All forms of Intolerance and of
Discrimination based on Religion or Belief.
7) The resolution 6/37 of 14 December, 2007 by Human Rights
Council should be implemented.
8) The State should abide by the declaration on the rights of
persons belonging to National, ethnic, religious and linguistic
minorities which was adopted by General Assembly resolution 47/135 of
18 December, 1992.
Documents:
1) Paper clippings : the Daily Sangbad dated 28th July,2014
2) Photo of the victim and other pictures taken during fact
finding at the spot.
3) Copy of F.I.R.
4) Copy of birth certificate of victim and registration card of
the school girl.
5) Written statements made by father and mother of the victim.
We came back from the spot on the same day and reached Dhaka at about 7 p.m.
With best regards,
Adv. Rabindra Ghosh
Founder President- Bangladesh Minority Watch
12-K.M. Das Lane, Tikatully, Wari P.S.,Dhaka, Bangladesh.
