Three police closed after elderly detainee dies in Ctg

Three police personnel, including an assistant sub-inspector (ASI), were closed after a 65-year-old man died in custody yesterday night in Chattogram.

The personnel were closed yesterday night and a three-member probe committee was formed to investigate the incident, our Chattogram correspondent reports quoting Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) (South) of Chattogram Metropolitan Police Shah Md Abdur Rauf.

The deceased was identified as Giridhari Chowdhury from Patiya upazila. He worked at a store named Parthana Basralay at Mohiuddin Market in Teri Bazar.

Among the closed police personnel are Assistant Sub-Inspector Kamrul Islam and two constables--Samiran and Ratan Shil--of Bakshirhat police outpost under Kotwali police station.

What happened yesterday night?

"Giridhari and one other man loaded clothes on a rickshaw after opening their shop even though the market is supposed to remain closed after iftar.  A security guard at Teri Bazar stopped them to ask the purpose of their visit during the lockdown," said Deputy Commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (South) Md Mehedi Hasan while recounting the detention.

"The two men were acting suspiciously, which prompted the security guard to inform a police patrol team crossing the area during the time. On hearing the information, police took the duo along with the rickshaw to Bakshirhat Police Outpost," added the deputy commissioner.

Once at the police outpost, Giridhari was asked to call the shop owner but he fell sick and was rushed to Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) where doctors declared him dead, the police official added.

Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Police Station Mohammed Mohsin said the deceased had suffered from strokes thrice before.

"There have been claims that the deceased was beaten up but we have found no proof of that yet. We are investigating the matter," the OC said.

Abdul Mannan, Teri Bazar traders' associations' general secretary, told journalists the entire market has been closed since March 25 as per the government decision.

A post-mortem was conducted on the deceased at CMCH morgue today, said police.

The probe committee has been asked to submit its report within a day and police are waiting for the autopsy report, the ADC said.