Police in Lakshmipur have arrested Joy Kuri (25), the prime accused in a case involving the detention and rape of a Muslim teenager for seven days. He was apprehended on Wednesday morning near Jhumur Cinema Hall in the district town and later sent to jail through the court. Joy is the son of local gold trader Ananto Kuri from Purbalach village in Raipur upazila.
The girl’s father filed a case at Raipur Police Station on 15 August under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, naming Joy and two others as accused. Since then, Joy had been in hiding until his arrest after 20 days. The incident sparked protests in Raipur, where locals, including students, demanded the arrest of all those involved.
According to the case statement, Joy lured the 14-year-old girl into a relationship under false pretences, presenting himself as a Muslim. On 14 August, he allegedly abducted her from near her home, took her to Cox’s Bazar for three days, and then confined her in a rented house in Lakshmipur for four more days. He reportedly promised marriage, but when he attempted to apply vermilion to her forehead, she realised he was Hindu. When she raised an alarm, he abandoned her near the Raipur Fisheries Training Centre.
Raipur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Nizam Uddin Bhuiyan confirmed the arrest, stating that Joy had admitted his involvement during interrogation.
