A 20-year-old man has been arrested in Narsingdi’s Palash in connection with a case alleging that he repeatedly raped his aunt by force and that she subsequently gave birth to a child.
The accused, identified as Apurba Chandra Das, was arrested by the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) from the Gabtali Panditpara area of Palash upazila on Sunday afternoon. He is the son of Nil Chandra Das of the same area and has been named the principal accused in the case.
The PBI Narsingdi unit confirmed the arrest in a press release issued on Monday night, 28 September.
According to the case statement and information provided during the investigation, the woman’s husband has been living and working abroad for a prolonged period. The case alleges that during his absence, Apurba took the woman into his residence and repeatedly raped her against her will.
The woman subsequently became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter on 17 April this year, according to the case documents.
The birth of the child reportedly led to complications surrounding the question of the baby’s paternity. The woman also expressed concern for her own safety and that of her newborn child. She subsequently sought legal recourse and filed a case before the court.
After taking the case into consideration, the PBI Narsingdi unit began a preliminary investigation. Investigators used information technology alongside their own intelligence-gathering efforts to establish the accused’s whereabouts. A PBI team later conducted an operation in the Gabtali Panditpara area and arrested Apurba.
The investigation agency said the accused was subsequently produced before a court, where he gave a statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Such statements are recorded before a magistrate as part of the legal process, while the allegations and other evidence remain subject to investigation and judicial scrutiny.
The case concerns allegations of serious sexual violence within a family setting, with the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy and the child’s birth forming a significant part of the complaint. Investigators are expected to examine the statements of those involved and assess the available evidence as the case progresses.
The PBI has said that its full investigation remains ongoing. The allegations against the accused will ultimately be considered through the appropriate legal process, with evidence and witness accounts forming the basis for further proceedings.
