HC asks to probe cops link to arson on Santals
Dhaka: The High Court on Wednesday directed a Gaibandha court to probe whether police was involved in setting fire on the Santal shanties following their evection drive on November.
The apex court ordered Gaibandha judicial magistrate’s court to submit the probe report within 15 days.
A HC bench comprising Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice Krishna Debnath issued the order after hearing on a writ filed by a writ petition filed by two affected Santal men.
The petitioners presented photos and video footages of the incident, which have been published on social medias, before the court on Wednesday.
Advocate Jotirmoy Barua stood for the petitioners while deputy attorney general Motahar Hossain Raju represented the state.
HC also asked Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to investigate a case filed by Shwapan Murmu and Thomas Hembrom.
On 21 November, the writ petition was filed seeking a judicial probe into the attack on the Santal community in Gobindaganj upazila.
Two Santal men were killed and 30 people, including nine policemen, injured following a clash with law enforcers and workers of Rangpur Sugar Mills in Gobindaganj upazila on November 6.
The clash broke out when workers of Rangpur Sugar Mills along with police went to Bagda Farm area to reclaim land of the sugar mill allegedly occupied by the Santal community.