The two cases--one for "extortion" in Mohammadpur area and another for "theft" in Mirpur--were filed with the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) by one Daud Miah of Mohammadpur and Firoz Miah of Kalyanpur in Mirpur.

Daud alleged that Shanta and her husband demanded Tk 100,000 and extorted Tk 20,000 from him on March 11 while Firoz complained that the couple entered his house and snatched away Tk 45,000 on March 10.

After the hearing, Metropolitan Magistrate Mizanur Rahman directed the officers-in-charge of Mohammadpur and Mirpur police stations to register the cases as regular ones.

Shanta's husband Advocate Atiur Rahman alleged that the cases were filed to harass them.

Meanwhile, Shanta and her husband are to appear before the court today for giving statements in a case the couple filed with the CMM Court for police repression on Shanta at Road 27 of Dhanmondi during a 14-party protest programme on March 12.

The judicial inquiry into another case filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, accusing two deputy commissioners of police, a constable and 25 other unnamed police personnel, of misusing power, torturing and repressing Shanta will begin at a Dhaka court today.

Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Shafique Anwar will record statements of Shanta, her husband and other witnesses.

The First Special Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children Repression, Dhaka on March 19 ordered a judiciary probe into the brutal police beating of Shanta.