Cop’s link to arson on Gaibandha Santals found

Staff Correspondent: Some police members are directly involved in the incident of setting of fire to the homes of Santal community during eviction in Gobindaganj upazila of Gaibandha, according to a report submitted in the High Court (HC) to this end.

Chief judicial magistrate of Gaibandha submitted the 65-page report to the HC on Monday.

According to the report, two police members and a DB police member along with the local people are involved in the incident of setting of fire to the homes of Santals.

Different print and electronic media published a video record on the incident of setting of fire to the houses of Santals.

Following the media report, the High Court on December 14 last year directed the chief judicial magistrate of Gaibandha to find out if the police force were involved in setting fire to the homes of Santal community during eviction in Gaibandha.

The court also asked the chief judicial magistrate to trace the people involved in the arson. The magistrate was asked to report by 15 days.

On November 6, a triangular clash ensued among the indigenous people and the workers of Rangpur Sugar Mills and police following an attempt by the workers of Rangpur Sugar Mill to evict the Santals from the mill area leaving left three Santals dead, 20 injured and several hundred homeless.

risingbd/DHAKA/Jan 30/2017/Mehedi/Amirul