3 cops closed after man dies in custody

Three police officers, including an assistant sub-Inspector (ASI), were closed after a 65-year-old shop employee died while being in custody at Chattogram city's Bakshirhat Police Outpost.

The deceased is Giridhari Chowdhury of Chattogram's Paitya upazila, said police. He was a staffer of a shop at Teri Bazar's Mohiuddin Market.

The closed police officers are ASI Kamrul Islam and his two constables.

Colleagues of the victim alleged that police beat him up and that lead to his death. Police denied the allegation.

Officials formed a three-member probe committee -- headed by Shah Md Abdur Rauf, additional deputy commissioner (ADC, south) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) -- to investigate the matter.

CMP Deputy Commissioner (DC, South) Md Mehedi Hasan said Giridhari and a colleague of his were loading clothes from their shop onto a rickshaw after iftar, despite the market being closed. A security guard of Teri Bazar confronted them and asked why they were there amid the lockdown.

The two staffers acted suspiciously during questioning, and the guard informed a police patrol team that was passing by. Police then took the duo to the outpost, the DC said.

DC Mehedi said that at the outpost, officers asked Giridhari to call his shop owner, but he suddenly fell sick. Police rushed him to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), where on-duty doctors declared him dead.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) Md Mohsin of Kotwali Police Station said the deceased was a stroke patient and had suffered from three strokes.

He fell sick in an open place near the outpost, and police rushed him to the hospital by ambulance, the OC said.

The OC claimed witnesses at Teri Bazar told police that he was not beaten after police confronted him there.

Abdul Mannan, general secretary of Teri Bazar Traders' Association, told journalists that the whole market area has remained closed since March 25, as per government decision.

"No one can enter or exit the market, but Giridhari was present there, so our guard grilled him," he added.

The deceased's autopsy was performed at CMCH morgue yesterday, and a magistrate prepared an inquest report, said police.

ADC Abdur told The Daily Star that the committee was asked to submit its report within one day, and they are waiting for the autopsy report.