Shawkat Ali murder case: Charge framed against policemen, lawyers in Kushtia

Kushtia Correspondent

A Kushtia court has framed charges against 16 people including a police officer, policemen and lawyers for their alleged attempt to favor the accused in the brutal killing of Shawkat Ali in Chak village of Kushtia’s Mirpur Upazila in 2023.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Court-2 of Kushtia Abir Parvez explained the court’s position in favor of framing the charge against the accused.

At the same time, the court also rejected the plea for exemption of the accused from the complaint at the last moment, during the proceedings concluded on Thursday.

The court has set the date for testimony on July 9. All the accused are currently out of jail on bail.

According to the case statement, Shaukat Ali has been brutally hacked to death by the accused following a longstanding enmity over establishing supremacy in the area.

Later, the victim’s nephew Abdulla Hil Maruf, a lawyer of Kushtia Judge Court, went to Mirpur Police Station on July 11 to file a case against 10 persons but the police refused to take the case.

However, the police were compelled to accept the case but appeared to take a stance favoring the accused.

According to the case statement, key accused Wakibul Islam Lipson’s mobile phone fell during the reported murder.

The plaintiff retrieved the phone from the scene and handed it over to Sub-Inspector Rabiul Awal, who was the investigating officer of the case.

But without including the phone as important evidence of the case, the IO prepared a seizure list.

Later, he presented a false statement claiming that the mobile phone was stolen from the desk of Mirpur Police Station and a lawyer of the court also helped the police officer to meet his evil plan, said the case statement.

Later, plaintiff Maruf reported the matter to Kushtia Superintendent of Police and then a departmental case was lodged against Rabiul Awal following an investigation.

Besides, the matter was also brought to the attention of the court and the court directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to investigate the case.

The CID conducted an investigation into the case and after gathering facts in connection with the incident and submitting a report to the court.

The court of Senior Judicial Magistrate Labani Sultana Poli issued a warrant against the police officer under Section 201 of the Penal Code on 2 August 2023.

The police officer was suspended and attached to the Kushtia police line.

Public Prosecutor of the court, Anup Kumar Nandi, said that the government would extend full cooperation to ensure justice in connection with the case.