9 arrested in connection with lawyer’s murder during Bangladesh violence
Dhaka (PTI): At least nine persons have been arrested in connection with the killing of a lawyer during violence in Bangladesh's southeastern port city of Chattogram, police said on Saturday.
They were arrested after a case was filed against 46 persons, mostly cleanliness workers belonging to the minority Hindu community, for their involvement in the murder of assistant public prosecutor Saiful Islam, who was in his early 30s, during clashes on Tuesday between security personnel and followers of Hindu community leader Chinmoy Krishna Das after he was denied bail and sent to jail by a Chattogram court.
Das, the spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport here on Monday in a sedition case.
"Saiful Islam's father filed the case last night naming 46 people,” said Abdul Karim, the officer in charge of the port city’s Kotwali police station.
Karim said most of the accused were residents of the city’s Sebok Colony, a hub of cleanliness workers belonging to the Hindu community.
He said nine of the accused were arrested and a manhunt to arrest the others was underway.
He said the accused were identified through CCTV footage of the court premises, the scene of the violence on November 26.
Police said one person identified as Chandan Das was the primary accused as he was seen chopping the lawyer with a sharp weapon.
The incident sparked nationwide outrage with lawyers and political groups taking to the streets demanding stern punitive actions against Islam's killers while some groups wanted ISKCON Bangladesh to be banned.
ISKCON Bangladesh, however, said Das was expelled from the organisation long before his arrest and added that ISKCON was not involved in the murder or violence.
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1,850 missing mobile phones recovered as Delhi Police focusses on victim-centric policing
New Delhi (PTI): Delhi Police has recovered 1,850 stolen and lost mobile phones worth around Rs 4 crore in past 40 days under "Mission Reconnect", an initiative aimed at returning phones to their rightful owners in outernorth Delhi, an official said on Saturday.
The recovered phones were traced from different parts of the country, including remote areas, through technical surveillance and sustained field operations, police said, adding that the devices were handed over to their owners during a programme at the Sports Ground, New Police Lines, Kingsway Camp.
The initiative focused on a victim-centric approach and aimed at strengthening public trust through proactive policing and coordinated efforts across states, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outernorth) Hareshwar Swami said.
As part of the programme, teams performed 'nukkad nataks' and screened awareness videos on cybercrime, drug abuse prevention, and senior citizen safety, sensitising the public about digital frauds and safety measures, officials said.
The initiative combines technology, investigation and community participation to ensure recovery of lost property and reconnect citizens with their valuables, they added.
