Maungdaw, Arakan State:  The police and Ward Peace and Development Council (WPDC) authorities in Maungdaw Town jointly extorted Kyat 600,000 in May from a bridegroom alleging that he had not submitted a guest list to the authorities, said a relative of the victim on condition of anonymity.
 
The victim was identified as Ziaul Haque (20), son of Maulana Jaffer Ahmed, from Kan Hpoo (Gozobill) village of Aley Than Kyaw village tract in Maungdaw Township. 
 
Ziaul Haque went to Ward No.5 in Maungdaw Town from his native village to visit his mother-in-law. Recently, he was engaged to daughter of Salay Ahmed and Fatema Khatun. So, he paid a visit to his mother-in-law while his father-in-law was in Saudi Arabia.  
 
After arriving, he went to the WPDC Chairman and Secretary Md. Ali, son of Ulla Meah of Ward No. 5 in Maungdaw Town to submit his name as a guest at about 8 pm. But the WPDC authorities told him that it was not necessary and there would be no problem.
 
He returned to his mother-in-law's house. But an hour later, the WPDC chairman and the Secretary accompanied by policemen from Maungdaw police station in plain clothes came to his mother-in-law's house while the bridegroom was having food. He was arrested and tortured because he did not inform the authorities about staying in his mother-in- law's house. 
 
It is illegal to check guest lists at 9 pm and normally officials have to check guest lists after 11 pm, said a local elder.
 
However, he was set free after he paid kyat 600,000 to the police. He paid the money by selling gold ornaments of his mother-in-law, the village elder added. 
 
After the incident, the WPDC Chairman and the Secretary of Ward No. 5 was implicated in the murder case of Mortaza, a close aide of Nasaka Director of Maungdaw Township, on June 23. At present, they are in Maungdaw jail.