Photo: Collected
Police have arrested Chandan, 35, a prime accused in the murder case of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif, who was killed during a clash on the Chattogram court premises. A joint team from Bhairab and Chattogram Kotwali police arrested Chandan from Bhairab Junction Railway Station in Kishoreganj early today (5 December), confirmed Rois Uddin, deputy commissioner (Crime) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police.
Video footage revealed Chandan, wearing a helmet, an orange T-shirt, and black pants, attacking Saiful Islam multiple times with a machete during the clash at Rangam Conversation Hall.
Rois Uddin said following the murder, Chandan went into hiding. Police tracked him down through intelligence and arrested him around 12am. He also said that the accused is being brought to Chattogram and will be produced before the court today.
Police said that Chandan arrived at Bhairab Railway Station from Chattogram yesterday and was wandering around the area. He planned to seek refuge at his in-laws' house in Methorpotti later at night. After identifying his location, police kept him under surveillance and eventually arrested him around midnight.
Earlier, lawyer Saiful Islam was killed amid clashes among police, lawyers and supporters of former ISKCON leader Chinmoy Krishna Das on 26 November after the court rejected the leader's bail in a sedition case.
Witnesses said unidentified people took him to nearby Jangal Cinema Lane on the ground floor of the court, beat him up and then hacked him to death.
The unrest began when thousands of his followers of Chinmoy gathered on the court premises and obstructed the prison van carrying him, demanding his immediate release.
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