OC Pradeep closely involved in Sinha murder: Probe body head
Mohammad Mizanur Rahamn, Chattogram additional divisional commissioner and the head of the probe body formed by the home affairs ministry, said suspended Teknaf Police Station's officer-in-charge Pradeep Kumar Das was closely involved in the murder of retired army major Sinha Md Rashed Khan in police firing.
"The involvement of Pradeep has come up in various statements during the investigation. Therefore, the investigation report will be submitted after analysing the data provided by him," Mizanur Rahman told a press briefing this evening after an emergency meeting of the probe committee.
The term of the probe committee will end Monday and the three-day remand of Pradeep will end as well. Therefore the committee held the meeting that continued for seven hours ending at 6pm at the conference room of Cox's Bazar Circuit House.
The committee has submitted an application to the home affairs ministry seeking an extension of its term as per the decision made at the meeting, said Mizanur Rahman.
"We hope we will be able to take the statement of OC Pradeep on September 1," he added.
He said the probe committee has taken statements of 67 people so far in connection with the case. Majority of them revealed that Pradeep was closely related.
The investigation is almost done. We are waiting for Pradeep's statement. We appealed before the court two times in this regard. However, the court has said his statement will be taken after the remand is complete.
We will submit the investigation report after verifying collected information with Pradeep's statement, Mizanur Rahman said.
Pradeep was first withdrawn from Teknaf Police Station and attached to the district Police Lines over his alleged connection with the killing of retired Army major Sinha Mohammad Rashed Khan on July 31 in Cox's Bazar Marine Drive. Later, he was suspended.
Sinha's sister Sharmin Shahria Ferdous filed a case with the Teknaf Upazila Judicial Magistrate Court on August 5, accusing OC Pradeep, Baharchhara check-post in-charge Liaqat and seven other policemen of killing his brother.