C’nawabganj Correspondent:

Two people, including a police constable, have been arrested in a case filed over the alleged misappropriation of 40 bhori of gold in Chapainawabganj.

The arrestees are constable Zakir Hossain and Mohammad Ali. They were arrested on Saturday night.

Additional Superintendent of Police of Chapainawabganj NM Wasim Firoz confirmed the arrests on Sunday.

Zakir was working at the officers’ mess under Chapainawabganj Sadar Police Outpost. He was attached to the police lines after allegations of gold theft surfaced. His home is in Debipur village of Durgapur upazila, Rajshahi. Mohammad Ali is from Alampur in Chapainawabganj Sadar upazila.

According to the case statement, the complainant, Nizhum, owns a jewellery shop in Rajshahi. Gold is sent to different locations based on customers’ orders. Nizhum had sent a consignment of gold to Chapainawabganj through his brother-in-law Mohammad Ali.

After Mohammad Ali handed over the consignment to a local businessman, constable Zakir arrived at the spot within two minutes. Posing as a police officer, he allegedly took the gold from the businessman.

Nizhum alleged that Mohammad Ali and his nephew, Md Nayan, used Zakir to seize the gold. He further alleged that Zakir threatened the businessman in the name of a police operation and the three divided the 40 bhori of gold among themselves.

Following the incident, Zakir went to his village home on a month-long leave and later returned to work at the officers’ mess. After the allegations became known, he was withdrawn and attached to the police lines.

Additional Superintendent of Police Yasir Arafat, of the district police’s Sadar Circle, was assigned to investigate the allegations and submit a report to the superintendent of police within 10 days.

Nizhum filed the case on Saturday, following which police arrested Zakir and Mohammad Ali in a night-time operation.

NM Wasim Firoz said police recovered 20.5 bhori of gold from Mohammad Ali and were working to recover the rest. The two were being prepared for production before a court.