The High Court on Sunday asked the police to arrest in 48 hours Moniruddin, who reportedly threw acid on the girl, an Eden Girls’ College student, he loved after she had refused to marry him.
The bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury and Justice Mahmudul Haque asked the police to explain in 15 days why they should not be directed to arrest Moniruddin who had attacked the girl, Sharmin Akhter Aakhi, at a marriage registrar’s office at Chankharpool in the capital city on January 15.
Dhaka’s deputy commissioner, the inspector general of police, Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner, Bangshal police officer-in-charge, and the inspector (investigation) of the police station have been asked to reply to the rule.
Deputy attorney general Amit Talukder told New Age that he had conveyed the court order to the Bangshal police officer-in-charge, Abdul Kuddus Fakir.
The court passed the order after hearing a petition the Bangladesh Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh filed seeking an arrest of Moniruddin.
The petitioner’s counsel Manzill Murshid told the court that the police have a statutory right to investigate an alleged cognisable offence in keeping with Section 156 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
But the government and the police failed to perform their duties vested on them, Manzill said.
The failure to arrest people accused in such heinous crimes will cause serious threat to the life of victims and other families, he pleaded.
Aakhi, a fourth-year student of Bangla, is now fighting for her life with terrible bruises in Dhaka Medical College Hospital.
The attackers also stabbed Aakhi, the family said adding that her refusal to marry Moniruddin had led to the attack.
The attack took place at a marriage registrar’s office in daylight, said the registrar who witnessed the incident.
Aakhi’s brother filed a case with the Bangshal police in this connection.