Man’s Death in ‘Custody’: Cops’ cooked up story falters

Four police personnel of Sylhet city's Bandarbazar police outpost, where a man was allegedly tortured to death on Sunday night, were suspended and three others withdrawn yesterday due to their negligence in duties. 

Azbahar Ali Sheikh, deputy commissioner (north) of Sylhet Metropolitan Police, said after getting family's allegation over Rayhan Ahmed's custodial death, a three-member internal body was formed to probe the matter.

The body found negligence of police personnel of the outpost, he said.

"Even though the man was detained by police, he deserved humanitarian rights, which was violated in the outpost. We have already taken primary disciplinary action against the seven police personnel. Now the investigation officer of the case [filed by the victim's wife] will formally probe the incident as per the torture and custodial death act," Azbahar said.

Rayhan's wife Tahmina Akther Tanni yesterday filed the case against several unknown persons with Kotwali Police Station, alleging that her husband was beaten to death inside Bandarbazar police outpost.  

Four police personnel Akbar Hossain Bhuiyan, in-charge and sub-inspector of the police outpost, constables Harun-ur-Rashid, Titu Chandra Das and Towhid Miah were suspended and assistant sub-inspectors Ashek Ali, Kutub Ali and constable Sajib Hossain were withdrawn from the police outpost.

News of the death of Rayhan, 33, broke on Sunday, with different local newspapers quoting police officials as saying that he was beaten to death by a mob after he was caught mugging someone in the city's Kasthogarh.

Rayhan, a resident of the city's Neharipara, used to work as a medical compounder at a doctor's chamber.

According to the case statement, Rayhan went out for work on Saturday afternoon and his mobile phone was found switched off after 10:00pm. Later, around 4:30am on Sunday, his mother received a call from an unknown number. During the call, Rayhan urged her to bring some money to the police outpost to have him release him.

Rayhan's stepfather Habib Ullah reached the police outpost with Tk 4,000 around 5:30am and a policeman asked him to bring Tk 10,000 around 10:00am, the case statement said.

When he again went to the police outpost with the money in the morning, he was told to go to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital where he found Rayhan dead.

According to the hospital's records, Rayhan was taken there by police at 6:40am and he died at 7:50am, says the case statement.

Meanwhile, seeing all CCTV footage of Kasthogarh area, no evidence on any mob beating was found from 12:00am to 7:00am on Sunday, said local councillor Nazrul Islam Munim.

Tanvir Ahmed, cousin of the victim, said, "They [police] tried to stage an incident of mob beating, but failed as we now have evidence. He was tortured inside the police outpost and he eventually died."

Soumen Maitra, inspector (investigation) of Kotwali Police Station, told this correspondent that Rayhan was accused in a mugging and drug cases.

Contacted, Jyotirmoy Sarker, additional deputy commissioner of Sylhet Metropolitan Police, said he was accused in a case filed in connection with drugs and another one under the special powers act.

Habib Ullah said they did not know that he was involved in any such activities or accused in any cases.