Man ‘beaten to death by rehab staff’ in Barishal
Owner, four staffers shown arrested after murder case filed
A man was allegedly assaulted to death in Barishal on Wednesday night by staff of a rehabilitation centre, while they were trying to restrain and take him to the centre after he apparently became violent at home.
Police have shown the owner of the Dream Life drug rehabilitation centre and four other staff arrested in a case filed by the mother of the deceased.
The incident took place in the area adjacent to the radio station in the city's Rupatli.
The deceased was identified as Sumon Khan (30).
His mother Khadija Begum said, "Sumon had drug addiction problems, and used to beat me and my relatives up on various pretexts. He was sent to Dream Life drug rehabilitation centre several month ago. He was at home for a month and a half. When Sumon attacked me last night, his two brothers Sultan and Rumman were informed about the matter. They then informed the rehab facility, who sent seven or eight people on Wednesday evening to take Sumon."
Khadija claimed that staff of the rehabilitation centre tried to take Sumon away without discussing anything with her. At one stage, some furniture of the house was also vandalised in a scuffle. Then they took Sumon out of the house and threw him on the ground.
Three or four of them got up on his back and grabbed him, and asked relatives for towels and ropes to restrain Sumon. At one point, Sumon fainted, and was rushed to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital by locals, where doctors confirmed his death.
Eyewitnesses also corroborated Khadija's statement.
Locals detained four staff of the rehab while they were trying to flee the scene. When the owner of the company came to the spot, he was also chased and detained by locals, and handed over to police.
Khadija Begum filed the murder case against the staff and owner of the centre yesterday, said Abdur Rahman Mukul, officer-in-charge (investigation) of Barishal Kotwali Model Police Station.
He said the five people were shown arrested in the case, and the body was sent to morgue for autopsy.