Fake launch-mishap survivor held

Police arrested a young man for trying to pass himself off as a survivor of Pinak-6, the launch that sank in Padma River in Munshiganj on Monday. The detainee, Rasel Sardar, 28, of Madaripur’s Kunder Char, made the bizarre claim hoping to earn a quick buck. Mojibur Rahman, Inspector of Munshiganj’s Shreenagar Police Station, said Sardar told police that a photographer had suggested he could get Tk 20,000 if he could establish himself as a passenger of Pinak-6, rescued six days after the mishap. On Friday noon, Sardar showed up at Mawa Ferry Ghat to put his plan into action and started wailing for ‘his brother and sister-in-law’ who were on the launch. When local administration officials approached him, he identified himself as ‘Sarowar’ of Shibchar Upazila of Madaripur and claimed he was on the ill-fated launch. The story stirred the rescuers. The Navy took him to Padma River to identify the accident spot. Various TV channels ran reports on him. But the truth came out after police interrogated him. A case was filed against him on charges of fraud. Inspector Rahamn said Sardar did not appear to be someone who had been searching frantically for his relatives for the past five days without food. ‘He was clean shaved.’ During the interrogation he admitted to his crime. He said he had staged this drama for money promised by some other people,’ said the police officer, according to bdnews24.com.