Limon Hossain, a college student of Jhalakathi, and his family had links with a local crime gang, claimed Rapid Action Battalion yesterday, serving yet another blow to the teenage boy who lost a leg after being shot by the elite crime fighting force.
"We have evidence regarding their [Limon and his family] involvement and will fight this case in the court of justice," Rab Media and Legal Wing Director M Sohail said at a press briefing in Rab Headquarters at Uttara of the capital.
Sohail said his statement was based on reports of four probe committees ordered by Rab and police after the March 23 incident.
The reports found that Limon was a member of Morshed Bahini, a local gang of criminals, and he suffered the bullet wound in an encounter between the miscreants and Rab personnel.
The reports confirmed that there was no incident of any Rab personnel shooting Limon in the leg at close range, he said.
Rab's statement came four days after a similar claim by Prime Minister's Defence Adviser Maj Gen (retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique, which was later endorsed by Home Minister Sahara Khatun.
"His [Tarique's] comment must be a government statement as it was made surely following a government decision," the home minister told reporters in her office.
Commenting on the adviser's statement, Sohail said Tarique's remark on Limon was on the basis of the reports submitted to the prime minister.
Rab has consistently said Limon was involved with Morshed-led crime gang, and he was wounded during an exchange of fire between Rab and the criminals.
The versions about Limon's alleged involvement with criminal gang widely differed from what the head of Rab said weeks after the shooting.
In remarks on April 11, Rab Director General Mokhlesur Rahman said Limon was not a notorious criminal.
He said the college student was rather a victim of a "shootout" between Rab and criminals.
Mokhlesur Rahman was present at the press briefing yesterday.
Several human rights groups rallied behind Limon and his family. Media reports, based on interviews of local villagers and school and college teachers, described Limon as a gentle boy striving to get higher education to support his struggling family.
He missed his first year college examinations due to the incident that shattered his dream.
Limon is now being treated at NITOR, popularly known as Pangu Hospital, for his amputated left leg. He was transferred to this hospital after being released from Jhalakathi jail on a six-month bail granted by the High Court. He got the bail as a human rights group sought his release claiming him innocent.
Rab filed two cases against Limon accusing him of possessing illegal firearms, and of obstructing law enforcers from carrying out their duties and attempted murder.
Limon's mother also filed a case against the Rab personnel who went to Limon's village to hunt the notorious crime gang led by Morshed.
At yesterday's press briefing, Rab media wing also accused the Jhalakathi correspondent of a national daily of writing false and exaggerated reports on the shooting incident at Chhaturia village in Rajapur.
"From the very beginning this correspondent has been trying to overplay the incident, and he persuaded Limon's family to file the case. He also organised some protest programmes, misguiding human rights organisations, in a bid to instigate an anti-government movement", Sohail said.
Sohail also alleged that Limon's family members persuaded the correspondent to write fabricated news over the issue.
Meanwhile, another one-man committee formed by the home ministry to probe Limon's case was given more time to investigate.
The sole member of the committee, Mohammad Shawkat Akbar who is also the additional divisional commissioner of Barisal, said the home ministry earlier had asked him to submit a report within 15 working days after the probe began on April 29, and he applied for the extension on May 19.
Source: The Daily Star (May 24, 2011)
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