A Dhaka court has sentenced six persons, including a high official of the Department of Narcotics Control, to different jail terms for looting 90 bhoris of gold from a businessman in Old Dhaka of the capital.
Judge Shihabul Islam of Dhaka 8th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court delivered the verdict on Monday. The convicts are former assistant director of Department of Narcotics Control SM Sakib Hossain, former driver of the department Ibrahim Shikder, Jiban Pal, Aminul Islam, Ratan Kumar Sen, and Emdadul Haque.
Two accused – Sakib and Jiban – were sentenced to eight years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Tk 5,000 each. In default, they will have to serve an additional three months in jail.
Four other accused were sentenced to five years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Tk 5,000 each, with a default sentence of three months.
The court acquitted one accused, Harun Munshi, as the charges against him could not be proved. All the seven accused in the gold robbery case were produced before the court, but Jiban Pal fled before the announcement of the judgment.
The court issued a warrant for the arrest of Jiban Pal. The five other convicts were sent to jail. The case was filed on 11 January 2021 by businessman Siddiqur Rahman after miscreants identifying themselves as detective police abducted him and looted 90 tola of gold in Zindabahar Park area of Old Dhaka.
Sub-inspector Rubel Mallik submitted the charge sheet against eight persons on 5 October 2021. The court framed charges on 0 March 2022 and began the trial. During the proceedings, one accused, Alamgir Hossain, died. As many as 26 witnesses testified in the case before the verdict was delivered.
