The prime suspect in the gang-rape of a woman Noakhali’s Subarnachar earlier this week has turned himself to the authorities.
Abul Kalam alias Bechu Majhi, 35, stands accused of leading a group of people, who had beaten up a couple and rape the wife afterwards, for their perceived offence of voting for a different candidate on Sunday.
A case was filed with Charjabbar police on Monday (Apr 1), charging eight identified and four identified people with the offence. Police have arrested five, and are working to arrest the others.
On Wednesday morning, Bechu Majhi surrendered to the court and asked for bail. The court rejected his plea and sent him to prison.
Earlier in the day, the same court granted police remand of two of the arrested – Abul Bashar and Yusuf Majhi – for three days and two days respectively.
The Apr 1 rape is the third gang-rape to have taken place in Noakhali’s Subarnachar upazila. Another woman was gang-raped on Dec 30 after she voted for a BNP candidate. On Jan 31, a 13-year-old girl was also gang-raped in the same area.