SI Ratan sent to jail over sexual harassment

Dhaka – Ratan Kumar Halder, suspended sub-inspector of Adabar Police Station, was sent to jail by a Dhaka court rejecting his bail petition in a case filed over sexual harassment of a female university student in the city.

Dhaka Women and Children Repression Tribunal 4 Judge Saleh Uddin Ahmed passed the order rejecting Ratan’s bail petition.

Earlier in the day, the suspended SI surrendered before the court and sought bail in the case.

On February 16, the court issued an arrest warrant against Ratan after taking cognizance of a judicial probe report.

On February 1, the victim, a first-year student of ASA University, filed a case against Ratan Kumar.

The student told the court in her complaint that SI Ratan Kumar and two police constables stopped her rickshaw in front of Japan Garden City on January 31 when she was on her way to a bookstore at Nurjahan Road and started accusing her of being a Yaba peddler.

The victim also alleged that the policemen then confined her to a nearby electronics shop, searched her purse and harassed her sexually.

SI Ratan Kumar was suspended on that day in connection with the incident.

Following the complaint, the court ordered a judicial investigation into the allegation of sexual harassment of the female student.

On February 12, the judicial probe found the allegation of sexual harassment against the accused policemen true.