10 arrested over mob attacks on police following child murder in Lalmonirhat

Police have arrested ten people in two cases filed in Lalmonirhat in connection with people’s violent attempts to snatch a child murder suspect from authorities’ custody, and lynch him.

The mob attacks left at least 30 people, including police and administrative officials injured, and seven government vehicle vandalised in Falimari village of Bholabari union, Aditmari upazila on Tuesday.

Aditmari Police Station’s newly appointed Officer-in-Charge Nazmus Sakib Shajib confirmed the lawsuit filing and the arrest of 10 “unruly people” on Friday.

On Tuesday, police detained the child murder suspect, Bidhan Chandra, 22, and took him under custody, sensing impending mob justice against him.

As Bidhan was being drive away from his home in Falimari village, local people created obstacles in the path.

The agitated mob was unwilling to give up Bidhan and confined the police team itself inside the house, demanding they leave “justice to the people.”

A strong police force with personnel from Sadar Police Station, Kaliganj Police Station, district’s detective branch (DB), as well as a BGB team went to the house to rescue the besieged police and pacify the angry crowd.

After nearly three hours of stand-off, police fired three rounds of sound grenades to disperse the crowd, and leave the area.

People initially cleared the way, but later attacked the convoy of government and police vehicles with brick chips and sticks.

Suspect confesses crime

On Wednesday, the prime suspect, Bidhan Chandra, 22, confessed to killing the child before a local court in Lalmonirhat.

He had killed Nandini, 7, in connection with a family dispute over farmland irrigation, Bidhan told the court.

A furore erupted over farm irrigation between Bidhan’s and Nandini’s families two months ago, and a village arbitration was also held in the Falimari village of Bholabari union, Aditmari upazila.

However, the disgruntled Bidhan ultimately decided to kill Nandini out of vengeance, and his parents helped bury the body in a nearby corn field.

Nandini went missing on Monday afternoon, and her family and locals could not locate her until Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday morning, villagers noticed freshly disrupted soil in a corn field near Nandini’s home, and suspected foul play. They dug up the site to find Nandini’s body in a sack.

Upon being informed, police sent the body to the morgue at Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital for autopsy, and later, took prime suspect Bidhan under custody.