Staff Correspondent, Dhaka
Three individuals, including the plaintiff woman, have been taken into police custody in Ashulia, Savar, for filing a false case claiming a living man as deceased.
The plaintiff, who addressed her as the wife of the deceased, alleged that she was coerced into filing the case under the pretense of securing a job.
On Thursday night, police took the plaintiff, Kulsum Akter, 21, into custody from Cox’s Bazar.
Kulsum is the daughter of Abdul Khalek from Shingzuri, Gior, Manikganj district.
The other two individuals involved are Ruhul Amin, 64, son of the late Masum Ali from Gior, and Shafiuddin, 40, son of the late Monsur Ali from Shibaloy, Manikganj district.
According to Kulsum Begum, she had been living with her husband, Mohammad Al Amin, in South Surma, Sylhet.
On August 28, she moved to Manikganj in search of a job. During her journey, she met a man named Shafiuddin, who gave her his contact information after learning about her job search.
Later, Shafiuddin informed Kulsum that she had secured a job and asked her to provide birth certificates and a certification from the chairman.
Soon after, Kulsum was brought to Dhaka, where Shafiuddin and Ruhul Amin informed her that she had been made a plaintiff in a case involving the death of a person on August 5.
They told her to claim that the deceased person was her husband, threatening that she would be killed if she refused.
Kulsum was coerced into presenting the deceased as her husband in court, and the suspects kept her in Cox's Bazar afterward.
Although she briefly returned home, Kulsum was taken back to Cox's Bazar by Shafiuddin and Ruhul Amin.
Later, Ashulia police arrested Kulsum, Ruhul Amin, and Shafiuddin.
Kulsum said: "I was forced and threatened with fear to become the plaintiff in this case. I don't know any of the accused, and I don't know who died."
Shafiuddin said: "I met Kulsum on the bus and gave her my contact details after hearing about her job search. I introduced her to Ruhul Amin for the job. I don’t know anything about the case."
Meanwhile, one of the accused in the case, Liakat Dewan, appeared at the police station after learning Kulsum had been brought in.
He claimed that money had been paid in exchange for removing his name from the case. He said, “I am the 57th accused in the case. I learned through an intermediary that Ruhul Amin was involved. Later, posing as a coordinator, Ruhul Amin's son demanded Tk2 lakh from each person. We collectively paid Tk17 lakh.”
Ashulia police station's Officer-in-Charge (OC), Abu Bakar Siddique, said: "The plaintiff and two others have been brought into our custody from Cox's Bazar. The plaintiff has been sent to court for a confessional statement, while the other two are being interrogated."
On October 24, Kulsum Begum filed a case accusing her husband, Mohammad Al Amin Mia, of murder at Dhaka's Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, naming 130 individuals.
The case was later recorded in Ashulia police station on November 8.
