Balurghat, May 5: The father of a gang rape victim has come to the aid of a youth wrongly arrested for the crime.

Police picked up Anwar Hossain, 22, instead of Anwar Ali, 47, last month in connection with the rape that took place almost a year ago, on April 27, 2007.

The fathers of both Anwars have the same name, Sabur Mohammad.

Last May, Kabirul Islam (name changed) had lodged an FIR against a gang of nine, including Anwar Ali. A man named Saifur Rehman had allegedly lured his eldest daughter away with the promise of marriage and raped her along with the others.

The police arrested six, including Saifur, but could not track down Anwar and two others. The search for Anwar Ali, a resident of Gokarna village, led them to the house of Anwar Hossain, who lives in the adjacent Saidpur village.

Anwar Hossain’s lawyer Abdul Khalek Ahmed said: “The fathers of Anwar Ali and Anwar Hossain bear the same name. But while Anwar Ali’s father died long ago, my client’s father is still alive.”

Kabirul told the police that the Anwar they picked up was not the Anwar they were looking for. “I told them repeatedly that they were making a mistake but they did not listen,” said Kabirul.

He promised “all help” to Anwar Hossain’s lawyer to ensure that he was released soon. “I want the actual culprits arrested,” Kabirul said.

The local court in Buniyadpur, 55km from South Dinajpur district headquarters Balurghat, has rejected Anwar Hossain’s bail plea.

His lawyer has moved the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Balurghat. “I’ve pleaded before the court that Anwar Hossain be declared innocent and released,” Ahmed said.

The court will take up the matter tomorrow.

Ahmed said Anwar Ali’s father was a former CPM member of the Gokarna village panchayat. Some residents alleged that the arrest was “politically motivated”.

Block Congress president Subhasis Pal said Anwar Ali was a CPM member and the police wanted to shield him.

Rafiqul Islam, a CPM zonal committee member, admitted that the wrong person had been arrested.

“But there is no conspiracy because both the accused and the innocent are CPM members,” he said.

The inspector in charge of Harirampur police station said he would act according to the court’s decision.


What Anwar hossain can do

Sue police
alleging that they
maliciously arrested him and tarnished his image

File a defamation case against the police saying
he incurred a financial loss because of them
According to advocate Jayanta Narayan Chatterjee in Calcutta