Lynching in Rangpur: 8 police members suspended

Eight police members, including two sub-inspectors, were suspended on Wednesday night for negligence during the lynching of two men in Taraganj upazila, Rangpur, on August 9.

Rangpur Superintendent of Police Abu Saim confirmed that the suspended members were assigned to the mobile team in Taraganj at the time of the incident.

Those suspended are Taraganj Police Station’s sub-inspectors Abu Zobayer and Shafiqul Islam, and constables Farikud Akhtar Zaman, Dhiraj Kumar Roy, Hasan Ali, Firoz Kabir, Moktar Hossain, and Babul Chandra Roy.

SP Saim said that SI Abu Zobayer, who was the investigating officer (IO) in the case, has also been relieved of investigation duties. Inspector Rafiqul Islam has been appointed as the new IO.

On August 9, Ruplal Das and his son-in-law Pradip Das were lynched by a mob on suspicion of theft on the Taraganj-Kazirhat road in Bottola around 9:30 pm.

Locals said Ruplal’s eldest daughter, Nupur Das, was engaged to Dipzol Das from Shyampur, Mithapukur upazila. Pradip Das, Ruplal’s nephew-in-law, was traveling by van from Mithapukur to finalize the marriage date. Confused about the route in Taraganj, Pradip contacted Ruplal, who joined him, and they continued toward Ghanirampur village by rickshaw van.

Around 9 pm in Bottola, villagers detained them on suspicion of theft. Locals found four small plastic bottles in the van, one of which emitted a strong odor that made two men, Alamgir Hossain and Mehedi Hasan, fall ill. As tensions escalated, the mob beat Ruplal Das and Pradip Das to death.

Two separate cases were filed in connection with the incident, and several people have been arrested so far.

Source: UNB