Man dies in Mirpur police custody
A resident of Talab camp, a settlement for the Bihari community, today died in police custody after police picked him up from nearby in the early hours today.
The deceased, Istiaq Ahmed Johnny, 28, was attending a wedding in the Irani Camp in Mirpur.
According to the brother of the deceased, Mohammad Ronny, Johnny got into an argument with a few boys who were sexually harassing girls.
Johnny, in confrontation with one boy called Sumon, hit him. According to the Ronny, Sumon was a police source.
Within 20 minutes, the camp was surrounded by a lot of policemen and 5, including Johnny, were picked up around 2:30am.
Ziauzzaman, the officer-in-charge of Pallabi police station claimed that Johnny was complaining of chest pains as soon as he was brought to the station. He added that Johnny was soon transferred to a local hospital and then to DMCH where the doctors declared him dead.
He denied all allegations of torture.
However family members claim that they heard from eye witnesses, Johnny was beaten before being taken to the police station.
Medical sources say that there were bruise marks on Johnny's body.
The magistrate inquest report prepared by executive magistrate Mahbubur Rahman also describes bruise marks on the body.
Johnny, who was a private car driver by profession, left behind a seven year old son and one and a half year old daughter.
Fights erupted in Irani camp and Talab camp since the news of Johnny's death in police custody broke. The streets were littered with debris.
The police had to fire 20 blank shots as locals clashed with them. The situation cooled down after a local MP visited the area.
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