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Robber Rab sergeant caught red-handed

6 flee with Tk 7.8 lakh booty, 2 more members picked later

Staff Correspondent
A sergeant of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) was caught robbing yesterday while six of his alleged colleagues managed to flee with Tk 7.8 lakh robbed from a cattle trader at GabtoHinthecity.
Commanding Officer (CO) of Rab-4 Lt Col Saber Sharif confirmed that Sergeant Atiqur Rahman, 30, held during the robbery, belongs to Ids battalion. Atiq was drawn from Bangladesh Air Force.
The CO last night said an investigation committee of Rab-4 has
already recovered Tk 2.58 lakh from a cellphone shop at Eskaton.
Rab-4 later picked up two fellow men from an specified place for their alleged link to the robbery.
Witnesses said the team of seven alleged Rab members in plain clothes came to the house of cattle trader Ratan AH at 32, Coatbari in Gabtoli under Mirpur Police Station by two CNG-nin three-wheelers al aroundnoon.
They kepi ihe three-wheelers waiting, identified themselves as Rabmembers and started searching the house, Ah told reporters at Mirpur Police Station, and claimed, "They found Tk 7.8 lakh in my house and grabbed the money."
The gang threatened him with death in 'crossfire' if he discloses the robbery, the cattle trader said.
As Ali in desperation started to shout for help, neighbours rushed to the scene. Six of the robbers managed to escape by the waiting three-wheelers, but the locals nabbed SergeantAtiq.
Atiq, son of Mojibur Rahman of Akhsar village under Saturia upazila of Manikganj, was then handed over to Mirpur police.
Lt Col Saber admitted the incident and said the sergeant was on sick leave at that time.
Atiq was injured in a motorbike crash some seven days ago and was on sick leave since then. "He came to the office [of Rab-4] yesterday morning and extended his leave according to the recommendation of the medical officer," Sabersaid.
"At noon, I heard one of our men was held for robbery at Gabtoli and sent two of my men to the spot immediately to verify the incident," the battalion commander told The Daily Star.
He said, "Quizzing the victim, locals and those people who caught Atiq, we confirmed the incident."
"He was on his own during the incident. He did not use Rab uniform or any vehicle or arms of the battalion," Sabernoted.
Rab has assured Ali of providing him with security and other supports needed, the Lt Col said, adding that 'exemplary punishment' will be awarded to the accusee for the crime.
A case was filed against Sergeant Atiq under the Speedy Trial Act with Mirpur Police Station.
"We have contacted the air force headquarters, Atiq's mother organisation, who also told me that 'he
should be punished'," Sabersaid.
He said Rab and police are grilling Atiq to know the identity of his six cohorts. "Possibly, they are not Rab members," Saber surmised.
A number of Rab and police teams were raiding different spots in the area in search of the gangsters and to recover the money, Mirpur police and the Rab release said.
The Rab yesterday cancelled Atiq's deputation and started the process to send him back to the air force, the release said.
On March 8, another Rab trooper, of Rab-3, was arrested while receiving bribe from the owner of a rice-store at Gopibag in the capital.
An earlier press release of Rab said since its inception last June it had taken punitive actions against 107 of its troops for anti-disciplinary acts.
Some of the accusees were awarded imprisonment, some fined and some suspended, said Lt Col Fazlul Bari of Rab on March 8, adding some were even awarded rigorous imprisonment.
There are allegations that Rab officials collect tolls from people, in some cases resorting to threatening them with 'crossfire' deaths.
At present, a total of 5,521 personnel from different law enforcement agencies, ansars and defence forces are working at Rab.