The Investigating agency failed to bring three policemen, including former Teknaf police chief Pradeep Kumar Das, under custody for questioning over the killing of Major (retd) Sinha Md Rashed Khan in the last seven days.
A Cox's Bazar court granted last week a 10-day remand in custody for three policemen - former Teknaf police chief Pradip Kumar Das, Inspector Liakat Ali, a former in-charge of Baharchhara investigation centre and SI Dulal Raxit.
The RAB members entered the Cox's Bazar Jail to bring them for remand. RAB source said after completion of all paper works they will take them for interrogation.
The RAB sought a 10-day remand to grill police constables Safanur Karim, Kamal Hossain and Abdullah Al Mamum and ASI Liton Mia, who were implicated in a case filed by Sinha's sister Sharmin Shahriar Ferdous.
The four of them were among seven policemen who surrendered to a court on August 6. The court subsequently remanded former Teknaf police OC Pradeep Kumar Das, Inspector Liakat Ali, a former In-charge of Baharchhara investigation centre and SI Dulal Rakhsit for seven days.
Although Safanur, Kamal, Mamun and Liton weren't placed on remand at the time, the RAB was given permission to interrogate them at the jail gate.
The elite police unit later made an appeal to place them on remand in custody and the judge set August 12 for the hearing.
Advocate Rakhal Mitra, the lawyer for the policemen, said, "The RAB grilled them for 10 days. But the judge granted them seven days after the hearing."
Meanwhile, the RAB also sought 10 days to question Md Nurul Amin, Md Nizamuddin and Mohammad Ayaj, who were named as witnesses to the cases filed by police over the killing of Sinha and alleged recovery of drugs from his car.
But they, too, were placed on a 7-day remand following their arrest from Teknaf's Baharchhara Union on August 10.
Sinha's sister Sharmin Shahria Ferdous named Liakat and Pradeep as suspects No. 1 and 2 in the murder case. Liakat allegedly fired the fatal shots during the Jul 31 incident on orders from Pradeep.
Sinha, 36, was a member of the Special Security Force, tasked with guarding the Prime Minister. His father late Ershad Khan was a deputy secretary at the Finance Ministry.
The former army officer had been staying at Nilima Resort in Himchhari of Cox's Bazar with three others for around a month to film a travel documentary.
After his death, police said they fired in self-defense when he brandished a pistol after obstructing a search of his vehicle at the checkpoint at Shamlapur along the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf Marine Drive.
As the police account raised questions, the government launched an investigation into the incident forming a joint committee with members from the army, police and administration. Seven police personnel, including Pradip and Liakat Ali, were suspended in connection with the killing.
