Govt asked to explain 'safe custody' in jail
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
The High Court has asked the government to explain why sending victims to jail in the name of safe custody should not be declared illegal, reports bdnews24.com.
It also has demanded an explanation from the government about why it should not be ordered to set up safe custody in real sense.
The home, establishment, law and women and children affairs secretaries and eight other officials have been asked to explain.
The bench comprising of justices AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Mohammad Delwar Hossain gave the order Tuesday on a public interest petition filed by three Supreme Court lawyers.
Lawyers Mahbub Shafique, KM Hafizul Alam and Imranul Hye filed the petition following a report published in Bangla-language daily Jugantar.
The June 4 report said a Juba League leader of Rangpur, Bullet Miah, had raped a girl keeping her confined for 10 days.
The incident occurred on May 19 in the district's Kaunia Upazila. The 22-year old girl filed a case against Miah under women and children repression prevention law with Kaunia Police Station on May 31. The girl underwent medical treatment the same day.
The chief judicial magistrate for Rangpur ordered the police to send her to its custody that day.
The bench of justices Chowdhury and Hossain directed the Rangpur deputy commissioner to shift the girl to safe custody under a governmental or non-governmental organisation from jail custody by 4:00pm Tuesday.
The judges also asked the Rangpur superintendent of police and Kaunia thana chief to escort the girl before the High Court Thursday.
Rangpur's chief judicial magistrate has also been asked to appear before the court that day to explain why the girl was sent to jail custody.
The forensic department chairman of Rangpur Medical College Hospital has been also summoned to the court with the forensic report.
The Kaunia thana officer-in-charge will also have to appear before the court to inform it in details about actions taken against the suspects.
Deputy attorney general Nazrul Islam Talukder has been asked to fax the directives to the related officials.
It also has demanded an explanation from the government about why it should not be ordered to set up safe custody in real sense.
The home, establishment, law and women and children affairs secretaries and eight other officials have been asked to explain.
The bench comprising of justices AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury and Mohammad Delwar Hossain gave the order Tuesday on a public interest petition filed by three Supreme Court lawyers.
Lawyers Mahbub Shafique, KM Hafizul Alam and Imranul Hye filed the petition following a report published in Bangla-language daily Jugantar.
The June 4 report said a Juba League leader of Rangpur, Bullet Miah, had raped a girl keeping her confined for 10 days.
The incident occurred on May 19 in the district's Kaunia Upazila. The 22-year old girl filed a case against Miah under women and children repression prevention law with Kaunia Police Station on May 31. The girl underwent medical treatment the same day.
The chief judicial magistrate for Rangpur ordered the police to send her to its custody that day.
The bench of justices Chowdhury and Hossain directed the Rangpur deputy commissioner to shift the girl to safe custody under a governmental or non-governmental organisation from jail custody by 4:00pm Tuesday.
The judges also asked the Rangpur superintendent of police and Kaunia thana chief to escort the girl before the High Court Thursday.
Rangpur's chief judicial magistrate has also been asked to appear before the court that day to explain why the girl was sent to jail custody.
The forensic department chairman of Rangpur Medical College Hospital has been also summoned to the court with the forensic report.
The Kaunia thana officer-in-charge will also have to appear before the court to inform it in details about actions taken against the suspects.
Deputy attorney general Nazrul Islam Talukder has been asked to fax the directives to the related officials.