A police constable and his wife have been arrested in Natore following allegations that a seven-year-old boy suffered a severe injury to his right index finger at their rented home.
The child was initially taken to Natore Sadar Hospital before being referred to Rajshahi for further medical treatment. Police said the boy was brought to hospital with part of a finger severed.
The incident reportedly took place in an area of Natore town on Thursday afternoon. Later that night, the child’s father filed a case against the couple. The two suspects were produced before a court on Friday morning following their arrest.
Mahbubur Rahman, residential medical officer at Natore Sadar Hospital, said the child had been admitted with part of a finger on his right hand severed. Doctors subsequently arranged for him to receive treatment at a higher-level medical facility in Rajshahi.
According to police and local residents, the arrested constable is posted in Natore and had been living with his wife and four-year-old daughter in a rented flat on the second floor of the house where the injured boy’s family also lived.
The two families were acquainted because of their proximity, and the children regularly interacted with each other.
On Wednesday night, a family picnic was held at the residence. During the gathering, the constable’s four-year-old daughter and the boy reportedly became involved in a minor altercation. The matter was settled within the family at the time, according to the boy’s relatives.
The following day, after returning home from duty, the constable allegedly took the boy to his flat against his will. A short time later, the child returned to his family crying and carrying part of his injured finger. He reportedly told his mother that his hand had been placed on the leg of a bed and that his finger was cut with a kitchen chopping implement.
The boy’s father, who works at a bank, said his wife informed neighbours after learning what had happened and took their son to Natore Sadar Hospital. He was later referred to Rajshahi for specialised treatment.
Police subsequently inspected the constable’s residence after receiving information about the incident. As the flat was locked, officers broke the lock to enter, according to police. They said they found bloodstains on the floor and the bed platform, as well as a severed portion of a finger inside the flat.
The constable, meanwhile, had made a verbal complaint to the superintendent of police’s office, alleging that the boy had sexually assaulted his daughter. Following the incident, the couple reportedly left the residence with their daughter.
However, police said no written complaint had been submitted by the girl’s parents regarding the allegation. Speaking to the media on Friday morning, the officer-in-charge of Natore Sadar police station said the parents had only made a verbal allegation.
Police said the circumstances surrounding the interaction between the two children and the subsequent response by the adults were being examined as part of the investigation.
The injured boy’s father has called for a proper investigation and legal action over what he described as a serious act of violence against his son. The investigation is expected to establish what happened inside the residence and determine the circumstances surrounding the child’s injury.
