Banani rape: Safat’s bodyguard sent to jail

Staff Correspondent: A court in Dhaka on Saturday has sent Rahamat Ali, the bodyguard of Safat Ahmed to jail in a case filed over raping two private university girls at a Banani hotel in the capital.

Ismat Ara Amy, sub-inspector (SI) of the Women Support and Investigation Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and the investigation officer of the case, produced Rahamat before the court after the completion of three-day remand.

Rejecting the bail prayer filed by Rahamat’s counsel, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Debabrata Biswas ordered police to send Rahamat to jail after completing hearing from both sides until the investigation into the case ends.

The court on May 16 placed Rahamat on a three-day remand while Safat Ahmed’s driver Billal on four-day remand.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-10) on May 15 arrested Billal, the third accused from Dhaka city’s Nababpur area in connection with the rape case while Detective Branch (DB) of police arrested Rahmat Ali, the bodyguard who is accused in the case for aiding the rape of girls at gunpoint, from Gulshan in a joint drive in the evening.

Earlier, Safat Ahmed, son of an owner of Apan Jewellers and Shadman Sakif, a friend of Safat, were arrested from Sylhet following the rape case. Safat is said to be one of the prime accused in the case.

A Dhaka court on Friday (12 May) placed Safat Ahmed on a 6-day police custody while Sadman Sakif on 5-day for interrogation in the rape case.

One of the rape victims filed a case with Banani Police Station on May 6 accusing five people.

Of the accused, Safat Ahmed and Nayeem Ashraf were sued for raping the two female university students while Sadman Sakif, Safat’s driver Billal and his bodyguard Rahamat Ali for abetting in the crime.

According to the case statement, the plaintiff along with her friend went to a residential hotel at Banani to attend the birthday party of Safat at about 9:00pm on March 28.

The two prime accused — Safat and Nayeem — confined them to two rooms of the hotel at gunpoint after the rooftop birthday party was over at midnight. The two girls were made to drink liquor before being raped. Safat raped the plaintiff while Nayeem her friend.

Safat’s driver Billal filmed the incident, she said in the FIR adding that they got introduced with Safat and Nayeem through Sadman Sakif.

risingbd/DHAKA/May 20, 2017/Mamhun Khan/Amirul