Bangladesh police have arrested four men over the rape of a teenager whose head was shaved as punishment by the accused's wife in a case that has shocked the conservative country, an official said Sunday.
Police detained the four men including Tufan Sarker, a unionist linked to the ruling Awami League party, after pictures of the victim and her mother at hospital with shaved heads caused outrage.
A manhunt is still underway for Sarker's wife Asha Khatun, who is accused of dragging the teenager and her mother to their home, beating them and forcibly shaving their heads.
Sarker, 25, has been charged with raping the 16-year-old at home on Friday (28), said local police spokesman Sonaton Chakroborty.
"He threatened to kill her and her mother if she would dare to talk to anyone about the incident," he said.
Another officer said that Sarker was a local leader of the labour wing of the Awami League, which has been ruling Bangladesh for most of the last decade.
Photos of the victim and her mother at hospital with their heads shaved spread quickly online, outraging Bangladeshis who urged police to take prompt action.
The victim, whose identity has not been disclosed, said Sarker's wife suspected she had engaged in a relationship with her husband.
"They shaved my entire head. I repeatedly apologised but they didn't listen. They even beat my mother and shaved her head," she told a local news channel.
Police said they were also pursuing Sarker's sister-in-law, a councillor in Bogra city, for allegedly abetting the assault by sending thugs to help beat the victims.
Davindra and Seema Misra, and Vijay and Gita Parekh
Varchas Patel with his father Vipin and mother Jayshriben
Hasmukh Shingadia and his wife Chandrika were all victims of the Horizon scandal
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)