Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested four people, including a woman, in connection with a case filed over gang-raping and filming intimate scenes of a young girl after shackling her in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area for 25 days.
HM Azimul Haque, deputy commissioner of Tejgaon Division under the DMP, disclosed it on Monday.
He said that they conducted drives at several areas in Dhaka from Saturday night to early Monday and arrested Saan, 26, Rocky, 29, Himel, 27, and Salma alias Jhumur, 28, in this connection.
“We have also rescued the 23-year-old victim from a four-storey flat at Nabinagar area in Mohammadpur following a phone call at national emergency service number 999,” said the DC.
The police officer also said that the three young men subjected her to rape and brutal sexual torture until being rescued on Sunday.
The case states that after her (victim) parents’ divorce and subsequent remarriages, the young girl was living with her elder sister. During this time, she was introduced to a young man through her brother-in-law and later through this young man, she met Salma aka Jhumur. Eventually, leaving her sister’s house, she moved into a rented flat in Nabinagar with Salma.
Following her acquaintance with a young man named Saan through Jhumur, a romantic relationship developed between them. Saan initially raped her on Feb 3, luring her with the promise of marriage, according to the allegations made in the complaint.
“fter raping her with the promise of marriage on Feb 27, Saan assured her of talking to his family for marriage. When she threatened to file a complaint with the police if he did not marry her, Saan ceased all contacts.”
The complaint details that on Mar 5, Saan arrived at the house with his two friends, Himel and Rocky, and told her to close her eyes for a surprise. Salma then left the room under the pretext of bringing food.
“Upon Saan’s instruction to close her eyes, the three men tied her hands, feet, and eyes, and sealed her mouth with tape. Later, leaving Himel on guard, the others went out to fetch chains. Taking advantage of being alone with her, Himel raped her.”
The young woman claimed in her complaint that from that day on, she was kept chained by her hands and feet. On Mar 7, Rocky came to the house and raped her. Salma, who was present in the house, would only unlock the shackles on her feet when she needed to eat or use the restroom.
The following day, Salma recorded a video of Saan raping her on her mobile phone. Until Mar 28, the three men took turns raping her and recording videos of each other doing so, with Salma assisting them.
On the night of Mar 30, taking advantage of the absence of anyone in the house, she managed to attract the attention of a local individual by screaming through the window. Subsequently, the person called 999, leading to police intervention, stated the case.
The barrister, who is said to be abroad now, employed accused Salma to guard the victim at the flat, said DC HM Azimul Haque. Police are looking for the barrister.
“If he stays abroad, we will seek assistance from Interpol to bring him back,” he said.
The police official said the accused used to film the rape scenes. Police suspected that the videos were meant for selling to pornography rackets abroad and legal actions will be taken upon investigation, added the DC.
In a latest development, a Dhaka court placed the four accused on a three-day remand each.
After the hearing, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Jasim issued this order.
The court also directed the investigating officer to ensure that the names of all involved in this incident are included in the charge sheet.
The accused sent on remand are Saan, Himel, Rocky, and Salma alias Jhumur.
Mohammadpur police station Sub-Inspector Farukul Islam, also the case investigation officer, produced the accused before the court and sought a seven-day remand. The defence lawyers appealed for bail seeking cancellation of the remand. The prosecution opposed the bail and argued in favour of the remand. After hearing both sides, the court ordered a three-day remand for each accused.
