The wife of a sub-inspector (SI) has filed a case against three people, including the superintendent of police (SP) of Gaibandha and the officer-in-charge (OC) of Gaibandha Sadar Police Station, for allegedly confiscating her husband's mobile phone and laptop and threatening to kill him through enforced disappearance.

The accused are Gaibandha SP Nishat Angela, Gaibandha Sadar Police Station OC Shahinur Islam Talukdar, and Tarequzzaman Tumin, 23, of Lalmonirhat district.

Kazoli Khatun, wife of SI Moniruzzaman of Gaibandha Sadar Police Station, filed the case with a Gaibandha court on October 22, said the plaintiff's lawyer Md Mostafizur Rahman.

Taking the case into cognisance, Md Jahangir Alam, judge of the Gaibandha Sadar Amoli (Cognisance) Court, ordered an officer (of SP rank) of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) in Gaibandha to investigate the allegations.

The PBI officer has been asked to submit a report by December 15 this year, the lawyer added.

According to the case statement, SI Moniruzzaman was summoned to the SP's office around 5:30pm on March 25 following an oral complaint lodged by one of his relatives. At the SP's office, his mobile phone and laptop were allegedly confiscated and later handed over to OC Shahinur Islam.

Moniruzzaman was also allegedly threatened with enforced disappearance if he disclosed the incident, the case statement said.

When he later tried to file a complaint with the police station, officers reportedly refused to register it.

Contacted, OC Shahinur told The Daily Star, "Sub-Inspector Moniruzzaman was harassing one of his relatives on Facebook and posting provocative comments against senior police officers. The relative, Tarequzzaman Tuhin, verbally complained to the SP, following which Moniruzzaman was called to her office for an inquiry. But, he denied the allegations."

"Subsequently, his mobile phone, laptop, and a memory card were seized and sent to the forensic department for examination. He was not subjected to any intimidation," the OC added.

Gaibandha SP Nishat Angela could not be reached for comment as she did not respond to this correspondent's phone calls.

An official from the SP's office, seeking anonymity, told The Daily Star, "The matter is administrative. Based on an oral complaint, the sub-inspector's phone and laptop were seized, and a general diary (GD) was filed at the police station in this regard. The devices were later sent to the CID's forensic department for examination on June 7."

The Daily Star obtained copies of the GD and the forwarding letter for sending the devices to the forensic department.