Court summons Sundarganj OC, SI over case record discrepancies

A court in Gaibandha has summoned the officer-in-charge (OC) of Sundarganj Police Station and the investigating officer of an explosives case to appear in person and explain discrepancies in police records concerning the arrest and production of three Awami League leaders.

Senior Judicial Magistrate Papri Barua of the Sundarganj Amli Court issued the order on Thursday, directing OC Shahin Mohammad Amanullah and investigating officer SI Mizanur Rahman to submit written explanations within two working days.

The order became known on Sunday night (September 27).

The court found inconsistencies in the accused persons’ ages, medical conditions, treatment records and the stated reasons and times of arrest. It also noted errors involving the investigating officer’s name, designation, seal and signature in documents submitted to the court.

The three accused are Anisur Rahman, 52, Sultan Ahmed, 65, and Liton Mondal, 39. Police arrested them in connection with a case filed after three consecutive cocktail explosions in Sundarganj on September 20. No one was injured in the blasts, which occurred near a house, a school and a road in Gopalcharan area within a few minutes of each other.

Police initially arrested Anisur, general secretary of the Awami League’s Shantiram union unit, and later arrested Sultan and Liton on September 23. The case was filed against 25–30 unidentified people under the Explosives Act and Special Powers Act.

Sultan told the court that his actual age was more than 72, rather than the 65 recorded by police, and that he suffers from liver disease and diabetes. Liton alleged that he was arrested around 12:30pm, while the forwarding report recorded the arrest time as 3:30pm.

The court ordered that the accused receive necessary medical care before being sent to jail.

OC Amanullah said the three were arrested as suspects based on information obtained during the investigation and that he would submit his written response within the stipulated time.

SI Mizanur said he had already appeared before the court and submitted his explanation, adding that the investigation remains ongoing.