Death of police official at hospital: ‘It was murder’, says Tejgaon Deputy Commissioner

Ten employees of a hospital were placed on seven-day remand each in a case filed over the death of Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Anisul Karim, who was assaulted by the hospital staff when he was admitted yesterday with some mental health complications.

Metropolitan Magistrate Md Shahidul Islam of Dhaka passed the order after Md Faruk Mollah, inspector of Adabor Police Station, produced them before the court with 10-day remand prayer for each. 

The accused -- all employees of Mind Aid Psychiatry and De-Addiction Hospital -- are marketing manager Arif Mahmud Joy (35), coordinator Redwan Sabbir (23), kitchen chef Md Masud (37), pharmacist Md Tanvir Hasan (18) and ward boys Zobair Hossain (19), Tanif Mollah (20), Sojib Chowdhury (20), Asim Chandra Pal (24), Md Liton Ahmmad (18) and Md Saidul Islam Palash (35).

The murder case was filed against 15 named persons, including the 10 arrestees, with Adabor Police Station.

Read more: Police official dies at Dhaka hospital after 'assault by hospital staff'

Around 12pm today, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Tejgaon Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Harun-Ur-Rashid addressed a press briefing where he confirmed the arrest of the 10 hospital employees, saying that police made the arrests after identifying them from the CCTV footage.

The arrestees have primarily admitted that they were involved with the murder, the DC said.

About Mind Aid Psychiatry and De-Addiction Hospital, he said the hospital is operating without permission of the authorities concerned.

The authorities could not show any valid documents from the Department of Health.  They do not have any permission from the Department of Narcotics Control either, the police official said.

In the footage, it was seen that eight to nine people were beating the police officer after tying up his hands, the DC said, adding that no doctors were seen in the footage.

"We think it was murder," the DC informed.

The DC said that Anisul was working in Barishal.  His family members took him to National Institute of Mental Health in Shyamoli first. But later he was shifted to Mind Aid Hospital.

Police are collecting information about those who advised to shift him to this hospital, he said, adding that if someone from the government hospital is found involved, action will be taken against them.

Yesterday morning, Anisul was taken to Mind Aid Hospital in the capital's Adabor area to be admitted for treatment, but died before the admission procedure ended.