The Meghalaya Police of India has rejected the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) claim that the prime suspect in the murder of Inqilab Mancha spokesperson Shaheed Sharif Osman Hadi, along with his associate, fled to India. The DMP had also said that two individuals were arrested by the Meghalaya Police for allegedly assisting the prime suspect in escaping.
According to a report published by Indian English-language daily Hindustan Times on Sunday (28 December), India’s Border Security Force (BSF) has also dismissed both claims made by the DMP.
Earlier on Sunday afternoon, DMP Additional Commissioner (Crime and Operations) SN Md Nazrul Islam held a press conference to brief the media on the progress of the Hadi murder case. He said the two main suspects—Faisal Karim and Alamgir Sheikh—had fled to India. He added that, through informal communication with the Meghalaya Police, they learned that two individuals, identified as Putti and Sami, had been arrested for allegedly helping Faisal Karim escape. He also shared details of how the suspects allegedly fled the country.
About two hours later, an online report published by Hindustan Times, citing the BSF and the Meghalaya Police, rejected the claims made by the DMP. The DMP has since explained the basis of the Meghalaya Police’s denial.
According to the DMP, the information regarding the arrest of two facilitators by the Meghalaya Police was provided based on confessional statements given by the arrested suspects.
The clarification was issued in a press release titled “Clarification on the information provided at the press conference regarding the detention of two collaborators of the perpetrators involved in the murder of Shaheed Hadi in Meghalaya”, released on Sunday night (28 December). The statement was signed by Muhammad Talebur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the DMP’s Media and Public Relations Division.
In the press release, he said several individuals who assisted the two main suspects—Faisal Karim and Alamgir Sheikh—in crossing the border into India have been arrested. Based on their confessional statements, the DMP stated that the suspects involved in the murder had crossed the border.
He further said that multiple sources in border areas informed the DMP that two individuals who helped the criminals enter India and provided them shelter had been detained by the Meghalaya authorities. It was on the basis of this information that the DMP disclosed the news of the detention of the two individuals.
The DMP expressed its belief that the Indian government would provide full cooperation in arresting all those involved and bringing them back to Bangladesh.