Two more arrested in Tk 3.5cr fraud case, one sent to remand

A court in Khulna has shown two more people arrested in a case filed over the embezzlement of Taka 3.5 crore from a businessman by impersonating the voice of National Parliament Whip and BNP Central Committee's Student Affairs Secretary Rakibul Islam Bakul through WhatsApp. 

Metropolitan Magistrate-1 Asaduzzaman passed the order on Tuesday after the Investigation Officer (IO) sought their arrest in the case. Meanwhile, the court granted a two-day remand for accused Md Sohel, although police had sought seven days for interrogation. The two newly arrested accused were initially detained from different parts of Khulna on September 18 under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and sent to court the following day. Later, the court ordered them to be sent to jail.

Police subsequently showed them arrested in the fraud case. The accused are Mehedi Hasan alias Babul alias Kagaji Babu, 42, son of Zainul Abedin and a tenant at Swapan Das's house in the KDA Residential Area of Shiromoni and Md Imran Sharif Roni, 24, son of Mujibur Sharif, who lives near Rayermohol Government Primary School in Khalishpur. Confirming the court order, Khulna Sadar Police Station's General Register Officer (GRO), Sub-Inspector (SI) Pradip Kumar, said the IO SI Saidur Rahman. He submitted an application on Monday seeking to show the two accused arrested in the case. The court approved the application on Tuesday. 

The court also granted a two-day remand for another accused, Md Sohel, for interrogation. According to the case statement, a fraud gang allegedly embezzled Taka 3.5 crore from Khulna businessman GM Azizur Rahman by impersonating Whip Bakul's voice over WhatsApp. The fraudsters reportedly offered to sell old machinery from Platinum Jute Mill to deceive the businessman. Following the incident, Azizur Rahman filed a case under the Cyber Security Act with Khulna Sadar Police Station on September 18, naming two accused and implicating four to five unidentified people. Police have, so far, recovered Taka 12 lakh in connection with the case.