'Torture of youth at police station' to be probed

Police yesterday formed a committee to investigate the alleged torture of a youth at Jessore Kotwali Model Police Station after different media outlets published a photograph and reports on the incident. 

Shahid Mohammad Abu Sarwar, additional superintendent of Jessore police, will lead the two-member probe body.

However, Abu Sayeed, who was allegedly tortured, and his relatives at Jessore Press Club yesterday told journalists that "police did not torture him".

The photograph published in the media was not his, Sayeed claimed.                                    

Locals alleged that Sayeed is involved in drug peddling.  

His father said some plainclothes policemen picked up his son from near his house in Talbaria village of Jessore on Wednesday.

On the following day, one of his relatives told journalists that two policemen of Jessore Kotwali Model Police Station demanded Tk 2 lakh from Sayeed, but he refused to give them the money. The policemen then picked him up and beat him at the police station.

Police freed Sayeed after taking Tk 50,000 as bribe from his family, alleged a relative, wishing to be unnamed. 

Talking to journalsits yesterday, Sayeed said he was in police custody for 24 hours. He was freed after his mother and brother lobbied with police for his release. He did not know about giving bribe to police.