CCTV footage belies liquor ‘seizure’ from businessman’s office
SHAMSUDDIN ILLIUS
Media: The Independent
Officials of the Department of Narcotics (DNC), Chittagong, allegedly tried to implicate a businessman of the port city on Friday, by stage-managing seizure of liquor from his farmhouse, and would have succeeded, but for CCTV cameras at the office.
The Independent is in possession of a copy of all the CCTV records. A team of Chittagong DNC brought liquor with them and took pictures in front of the farmhouse in the presence of its watchmen, allegedly to fabricate ‘evidence’ that the liquor had been recovered from the premises.
Allegations have also been levelled that the DNC officials prepared a seizure list of the liquor that was purportedly recovered from the farmhouse, but the team quickly left the farmhouse when they realised that CCTV cameras were present.
The businessman, Taskib Ahmed, chairman of the GK Group of Industries, filed a general diary (GD) with Chandgaon police station on Friday evening. From the CCTV footage, it was found that seven DNC officials, led by Lukasis Chakma, inspector, DNC Chittagong (metropolitan), carried out a raid at GK Group of Industries’ office at Maulvi Pukur Phar under Chandgaon police station on Friday, at 11:28am.
They allegedly went there with a black microbus without any number plate—the glass was allegedly covered with paper.
The DNC officials included its inspector Lukasis Chakma, inspector Brajalal Chakma, sub-inspector Chand Miah, constable Jashim Uddin, and three other constables, whose identities could not be ascertained.
The businessman stated in the GD that he received a phone call from 01752977062 a couple of days or so earlier; the caller identified himself as an official of the narcotics department. “The officials said over phone, ‘You are involved with the drug business,’ and said they wanted to talk with me. I asked him to come to my office.”
Taskib Ahmed told The Independent, “Some seven or eight Narcotics Department officials, in plainclothes, came my office. Lukasis Chakma entered my office, while others waited in front of my office. In the meantime, the other members of the DNC team took out liquor from their microbus and asked a woman to disembark.
They took signatures from my watchman, Joynal Abedin, under duress, saying that they had recovered the liquor from the woman. They also took photos.” “They tried to implicate me, but in vain, as I said warned them that all their activities were being recorded on CCTV cameras. They then quickly left my office.”
Lukasis Chakma told this correspondent that on receiving an allegation, they had gone to talk to Ahmed. “It is completely false, we went there to conduct an investigation, not for any other motive,” he said.
In the video footage, it was found that DNC officials got down from the microbus in front of Ahmed’s office, one after another, from 11:28am to 11:31am. Lukasis Chakma entered Ahmed’s office with him, it can be seen. The others waited outside the office, with some moving around aimlessly. At 11:34:08 am, constable Jashim Uddin (wearing a red shirt) opened the door of the microbus, picked up a bag, and took it where the watchman of the farmhouse usually sits. At 11:34:48am, he kept the bag again in the microbus. At 11:35:02, a woman, garbed in a yellow sari, got down from the microbus and was taken to the watchman, who was sitting next to Jashim.
They allegedly took pictures where the watchman was sitting, saying the liquor was recovered from Taskib Ahmed’s office and took the signatures of watchmen Joynal Abedin and Anowar Hussain under duress.
Abedin told The Independent, “The people took a bag, in which, there was a total of five smaller bags, and kept it on my table. They told me that there was liquor in it and had recovered it from the woman. They then took pictures and took my signature on two blank pieces of paper, by threatening to arrest me.”
Hussain told The Independent, “They brought the liquor from the microbus and took two of my signatures on blank paper, threatening me with arrest. They also said the liquor was recovered from the woman.”
DNC (additional director), Md Fazlur Rahman, told The Independent, “It is a misunderstanding. We have launched an investigation into the issue. If anyone is found guilty, we will take action.”
DNC (deputy director) of Chittagong (metropolitan), Ali Aslam Hosain, said: “They went there to conduct an investigation; there was no other motive. The woman had been nabbed from another place. She was told to get down from the microbus on security considerations. She was later handed over to the mobile court. The other officials got down there for some refreshment. It was just a misunderstanding.”
