5 arrested in Muradnagar rape case

Police have arrested Fajr Ali, the sole accused in a rape case filed with Muradnagar upazial of Cumilla. 

Fajr Ali, son of Shahid Mia of Baherchar village in the same upazila, was arrested early Sunday from the Sayedabad Bus Terminal area of the capital. 

Earlier, the police had conducted a drive overnight on Saturday and arrested four more people in connection with the incident.

Cumilla Police Superintendent Mohammad Nazir Ahmed Khan gave the information on Sunday morning.

Apart from Fajr Ali, the other arrestees are Abdul Hannan's son Sumon, Jafar Ali's son Ramzan, Md Alam's son Md Arif and Talem Hossain's son Md Anik.

Locals said that the rape incident took place in a village in the upazila on Thursday night (June 26). The victim woman alleged that her parents were not at home on the night of the rape incident. At that time, Fajr Ali broke into the house and raped her.

According to multiple local sources, during the incident, some people from the neighborhood came and beat the victim woman naked. Later, they spread the video of the incident on social media. At that time, the accused Fajr Ali fled. 

The next day, the victim woman filed a case with Muradnagar Police Station. The woman's husband, a Hindu, has been abroad for five years and they have two children.

A 51-second video of the woman's torture went viral on social media, creating a sensation in the area. In the viral video, 10/12 young men are seen beating the woman naked and the woman is screaming for help.

Muradnagar Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Zahidur Rahman said that although a case was filed against Fajr Ali on charges of rape, the woman did not tell the police about the incident of stripping her naked and torturing her. 

However, four people involved in the video were identified and arrested for recording and spreading it on Facebook, the OC said, adding that legal action is being taken against them.

Cumilla Police Superintendent Mohammad Nazir Ahmed Khan told The Daily Samakal that the main accused in the rape case, Fajr Ali, has been arrested and he has been receiving treatment for his injuries. And four people involved in spreading the video have been arrested from different places in Cumilla. 

Action will be taken against them under the Information and Communication Technology Act, he added.