HC forms probe body

The  High Court yesterday formed a three-member committee headed  by the judge of Nari O Shishu Nirjatan Tribunal of Sylhet to conduct an  inquiry into the incident of rape of a woman on the campus of Murari  Chand College in Sylhet on September 25.

Other two members of the committee are additional deputy commissioner (general) and chief judicial magistrate of Sylhet. The  HC directed the committee to record statements from all concerned and submit the probe report to this  court in 15 days.

Issuing a suomuto  (voluntary) rule, the court ordered the DC of  Sylhet to provide proper assistance to the inquiry committee and directed the superintendent of police of  the district to provide security to the committee.

The HC issued a rule asking the respondents to show causes in  two weeks why they should not be directed to take appropriate legal  steps against the principal and hostel superintendent of MC College for  their negligence and failure to save the innocent woman.

Secretaries  to the ministries of home, law and education, vice chancellor and  registrar of the National University, DC and SP of Sylhet and principal  and hostel superintendent of MC College have been made respondents to the rule,  Deputy Attorney General Nawroz MR Chowdhury told The Daily Star.

The  HC bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Mohiuddin Shamim  came up with the order and rule following  two reports published in The Daily Star on September 27 on the incident.

The bench fixed October 18 for passing further order on this issue. Supreme  Court lawyer Md Mesbah Uddin placed The Daily Star reports under the  headlines "Rape in MC College: 6 accused BCL men moved with impunity"  and "Unpublished crimes led to horror like this" before the HC bench for  necessary orders.