Deaths at Jashore juvenile centre: Charges pressed against 4 suspended officials, 4 teen inmates

Police have pressed charges against 12 people -- four suspended officers and eight prisoners, including four teenage inmates -- in the case filed over the deaths of three teenage prisoners at Jashore Child Development Centre.

According to the charge sheet, the four accused suspended officials of the juvenile correction centre are: caretaker (assistant director) Abdullah Al Masood; assistant superintendent (probation officer) Masum Billah; physical Instructor AKM Shahanur Alam and counselor Mushfiqur Rahman.

Technical instructor (welding) Omar Farooq, who was suspended after the incident, has been acquitted from the charges in the case as the investigation did not find any evidence of his involvement, said Inspector Rokibuzzaman, investigation officer of the case.

The four accused inmates in the charge sheet are: Khalidur Rahman Tuhin (16) of Gaibandha; Humayun Hossain (17) of Natore, Mohammad Ali (16) and Imran Hossain (15) of Pabna.

The investigating officer confirmed the developments to The Daily Star.

According to official documents, Tuhin, Humayun, Mohammad Ali and Imran are minors, but the investigation found that their age was actually more than 18 years on the day of the incident, and hence they have been charged in the case as adults, the IO said.

On the other hand, four others are teenage prisoners -- Anis (17) of Chuadanga, Rifat Hossain (16) of Kurigram, Palash alias Shimul (17) of Rajshahi and Monowar Hossain (16) of Pabna.

The investigation officer said that they were convicted as children as they were under 18 years of age on the day of the incident.

On August 13 last year, 17 teenage prisoners of Jashore Child Development Centre were brutally tortured. Three of them later died while 15 others were injured.

Father of Pervez Hasan Rabbi, one of the three deceased in the incident, filed the case with Jashore Kotwali Police Station in this connection.