Rayhan’s Death: Charges pressed against 5 cops, one youth

The Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) yesterday submitted a charge sheet against six people, including five police officials, in a case filed over the custodial death of Rayhan Ahmed.

PBI Special Superintendent Mohammad Khaled-uz-Zaman said that the charge-sheet was submitted to the prosecution section of the police, who will place it before a virtual court.

In the charge-sheet, PBI has accused Bandarbazar police outpost's suspended in-charge and sub-inspector Akbar Hossain, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Ashek-e-Elahi, constable Harunur Rashid, constable Titu Chandra Das, sub-inspector Hasan Uddin, and local youth Abdullah Al Noman.

Among the accused, all except Noman are in jail.

Rayhan Ahmed, 33, a youth of Neharipara area in Sylhet city, was tortured at Sylhet's Bandarbazar Police Outpost on early October 11 and died an hour after he was admitted to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical Hospital by police personnel.

WHAT'S IN THE CHARGE-SHEET

The 1,962-page charge sheet listed 69 witnesses, among them, seven police personnel and three others already testified before the court as witnesses under section-164 of the Penal Code, said PBI Special Superintendent Mohammad Khaled-uz-Zaman at a press conference yesterday.

He said, "As per the investigation, the detention of Rayhan and torture in the outpost was not pre-planned. That night, two locals named Saidul Sheikh and Ratan Sheikh went to Kasthoghar area to buy yaba pills; there they locked into an altercation with the sellers and Rayhan was there with the yaba sellers too.

"Later Saidul informed police about a mugging and police, on information, detained Rayhan from Kasthoghar area in the city. Investigating Rayhan's involvement with the drug sellers, we've found he was previously accused in a drug case in 2018," the PBI official said.

He also said that Rayhan was tortured in the police outpost and PBI accuses SI Akbar, ASI Ashek, constables Titu, and Harunur of torturing Rayhan in police custody.

SI Akbar, ASI Ashek, and constable Titu are also accused of detaining Rayhan and bringing him to the police outpost while SI Hasan and local youth Noman are accused of hiding valuable evidence, the SP said.

The accused are charged under section 302, 201, 34 of the Penal Code and also section 15, 2, and 3 of the Torture and Custodial Death Prevention Act, the SP added that all points were considered to ensure a fair probe.