Torture of Man: HC summons 2 Jessore cops

The High Court yesterday summoned two officials of Jessore Kotwali Model Police Station before it on the charge of torturing a man for bribe.

Sub-Inspector Nazmul and Assistant Sub-Inspector Hadibur Rahman of the police station have been ordered to appear before the HC on January 25 to explain their roles in the incident.

Issuing a suo moto (of its own) rule, the court also asked victim Abu Sayeed to appear before it the same day for placing his statement.

The HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah directed the superintendent of police of Jessore to investigate the reported incident of police torture on Sayeed and submit the probe report before it in 30 days.

In the rule, the bench asked the government and law enforcers to explain why appropriate legal action should not be taken against SI Nazmul and ASI Hadibur Rahman for reportedly torturing the youth.

The home secretary, the inspector general of police, the deputy inspector general of police of Khulna range, the SP of Jessore, the officer-in-charge of Jessore Kotwali Model Police Station, SI Nazmul and ASI Hadibur have been made respondents to the rule, Deputy Attorney General Tapas Kumar Biswas told The Daily Star.

The bench came up with the order and the rule following a report published on Bangla daily Prothom Alo on Friday.

The report said Sayeed, 30, son of Nurul Hoque of Talbaria village in Jessore Sadar upazila, was detained by SI Nazmul on Wednesday night.

Later, Nazmul and ASI Hadibur demanded Tk 2 lakh from Sayeed, but he refused to give them the money. Sayeed was then beaten up at the police station.

The report published a photograph of a man twisted around a wooden stick and hanging upside down with his hands and legs tied.

Sayeed was released after his mother and brother paid Tk 50,000, the report said.

However, the next day, the victim and his relatives told journalists at Jessore Press Club that “police did not torture him”.

Sayeed also claimed that the photograph published in the media was not his.

Amid widespread allegations of police torture, parliament in 2013 enacted the “Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act”, prohibiting both mental and physical torture in any situation and custodial death.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court last year directed magistrates to take action against errant police officers whenever they find infringement of the law against torture and deaths in police custody.

“It is only the magistrates who can ensure its [anti-torture law] enforceability and see that this piece of legislation does not remain in the statute [book] only,” the SC said, adding, “The magistrates shall not remain as silent spectators whenever they find infringement of this law and shall take legal steps against errant officers.”