Two DGFI Members to Be Tried Under Army Act in Shyamoli Businessman Kidnapping and Extortion Case
Two members of the DGFI arrested on charges of kidnapping a motorcycle businessman from Shyamoli in the capital, detaining and beating him, and demanding Tk 10 lakh in extortion will be tried under the Army Act. On Monday, following an application by the military intelligence agency, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ashraful Haq ordered that the two members be taken into army custody.
On Tuesday, Sub-Inspector Md Mizanur Rahman, the general registration officer of Mohammadpur Police Station at the Dhaka court, confirmed the matter and said the military intelligence agency had applied for their handover, stating that investigation and punitive action would be taken under the Army Act. The court granted the application.
A letter sent from DGFI headquarters said the two accused in the case filed with Mohammadpur Police Station over the businessman's kidnapping and extortion, Sergeant Al Mamun and soldier Nuruzzaman, are members of the armed forces and are currently serving in the DGFI.
The letter further said a court of inquiry would be formed to take necessary action against them under the Army Act, and that they therefore needed to be handed over to a representative of the agency. It also stated that the court would be informed after necessary punitive action was taken under the Army Act.
Omar Faruk Faruki, public prosecutor of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, said that under the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Army Act, when a case is filed against a serving military member, the military authorities can apply to take him into their own custody for investigation or court martial. This is part of the legal process.
However, describing the allegation as serious, the public prosecutor said it is essential to ensure that the victim gets justice.
According to the case details, on October 25, Mohammadpur police arrested six people, including the two DGFI members, on charges of kidnapping Md Sharif, a motorcycle businessman from Shyamoli in the capital, and demanding extortion money.
Businessman Sharif alleged that an Ansar member named Sohail Rana, an acquaintance, called him to a house in Chandima Model Town in Mohammadpur on the pretext of buying a motorcycle. After he arrived, he was locked in a room, beaten, and threatened with death while Tk 10 lakh was demanded as extortion.
