DU Student Rape: Mojnu Put On 7-Day Remand

A suspect was put on a seven-day remand by a Dhaka court on Thursday for allegedly raping and torturing a Dhaka University student.

Mojnu, described as a serial rapist, drug addict and mugger by Rab, was arrested on Wednesday morning, two days after the incident at Kurmitola.

Detective Branch Inspector Abu Siddiq produced the arrestee before the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md Shorafuzzaman Ansari on Thursday afternoon and sought 10 days to interrogate him. The court gave the investigators seven days.

“Mojnu, 30, hailing from Hatia, used to rape physically challenged women and beggars,” Lt Col Sarwar had told reporters. 

He throttled the DU student and dragged her to a nearby bush. He hit the girl and tried to kill her after the rape, the Rab officer said, adding that the offender had admitted to being a serial rapist and a drug addict.

The DU student was assaulted by Mojnu at Kurmitola. She is now undergoing treatment at the One-Stop Crisis Centre (OSCC) of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH).

The incident sparked widespread protests at Dhaka University and elsewhere. DU students blocked Shahbagh intersection on Monday and gave the authorities a 24-hour ultimatum for arresting the rapist. They protested on Tuesday and Wednesday, too.

Teachers and students of DU on Wednesday demanded capital punishment for the rapist.

How was Mojnu arrested?

Lt Col Sarwar said Mojnu used to work as a hawker and sometimes mugged people.

Rab recovered the mobile phone of the victim and some other possessions belonging to her from Mojnu.

The offender had snatched the victim’s mobile phone and sold it to a woman named Aruna, who later sold it to one Khairul.

“We tracked the victim’s phone and detained Khairul from Shewra and then Aruna. We arrested Mojnu from Shewra on early Wednesday based on information given by her,” the Rab officer said.

On Monday, the victim informed police that the perpetrator was alone and did not have front teeth. Lt Col Sarwar said this helped them identify the offender.

Later, he was handed over to the DB police, who showed him arrested in a case filed by the victim’s father at Cantonment Police Station.

Source: UNB