DB claims to have arrested ‘real snatchers’

The Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) Detective Branch (DB) has arrested two people over the death of headteacher Ranjila Parvin, who fell from a battery-run rickshaw after snatchers tugged at her belongings near the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on August 29.

The DB has described the two as the “real snatchers” involved in the incident, while saying three people arrested earlier by RAB were not involved in Ranjila’s death.

DB Chief Additional Commissioner Shafiqul Islam identified the newly arrested suspects as Khokon and Rajib Matbar at a press conference at the DMP Media Centre on Wednesday.

According to detectives, Rajib was riding the motorcycle while Khokon, who was riding pillion, grabbed Ranjila’s bag, causing her to fall from the rickshaw near the parliament building.

RAB-2 arrested three people �" Rakib, Poni and Cedric �" over the incident on August 30. They were subsequently remanded and sent to jail.

At the time, RAB alleged that Rakib owned the motorcycle used in the snatching and that the other two were with him.
But Shafiqul said the DB found no evidence linking the three to Ranjila’s death after questioning them and analysing information and evidence gathered during the investigation.

He said one of the three arrested by RAB had 13 cases against him, but interrogation confirmed that none of the three was involved in Ranjila’s death.

“The motorcycle recovered by RAB was not the one used in the incident. The colour of the motorcycle seen in the CCTV footage is different from that of the motorcycle recovered by RAB,” he said.

Detectives later analysed another set of information and evidence and identified Khokon and Rajib. CCTV footage, Ranjila’s recovered belongings and a different motorcycle helped lead investigators to the two suspects, Shafiqul said.