Dhaka: The High Court Tuesday issued a rule upon the government asking explanation within four weeks why detention of a victim in jail in the name of ‘safe custody’ should not be declared illegal.

In the rule, the court also asked the government to explain why it should not be directed to ensure `real safe custody` of a person in need of security of life.

An HC bench of justices AHM Samsuddin and Md Delwar Hossain passed the order in response to a writ petition filed by three Supreme Court lawyers -- Barrister Mahbub Shafique, Adv KM Hafizul Alam and Barrister Imranul Hye—in connection with a raped girl’s confinement to jail custody in the name of safe custody.

The lawyers filed the petition as public-interest litigation on the basis of a report published in a daily on June 4. The report said a young girl, who was raped by local Jubo League leader Bullet Miah at Kaunia in Rangpur, was sent to jail instead of safe custody.

The High Court also directed the deputy commissioner of Rangpur to transfer the girl to a safe custody from the jail custody sharp by 4:00pm Tuesday.

The court directed the SP of Rangpur and the OC of Kaunia Police Station to “safely produce” the victim before the court on Thursday morning.

In another ruling the HC ordered the chief judicial magistrate of Rangpur to appear before the court on Thursday morning to explain why he sent the victim to jail custody on May 31.

BDST: 1413 pm, 8 June 2010
JA/MRH/SMS/MUA