Accused dies in custody

An accused in a murder case died in the custody of Chittagong court yesterday.
The deceased, Nasir Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury, 50, was accused of killing his mother Aasia Khanam to death at their home in the city's Amirbag residential area in February 2007.
Sources said Nasir was brought to the court building on the scheduled date for hearing of the case at the third Additional Metropolitan Session Judge's Court.
Before appearing at the court, he fell down on the floor of the court building's lock-up at 10:10am.
Nasir died before he could be taken to the hospital, said the sources while police was preparing to take Nasir back to jail.
With the accused and witnesses being absent, the court fixed February 22 for the next hearing.
However, a general diary was lodged with the Kotoali police station in this connection.
Nasir chopped his mother and grievously hurt his brother Sahabuddin as the latter refused him to pay Tk 20,000 on February 5, 2007.
Aasia succumbed to her injuries at a city clinic that prompted her another son Kamaluddin to file a case accusing Nasir of murder with the Kotoali police station.
Charge sheet of the case was submitted on May 23, 2007 while the court framed charge against Nasir on September 11, 2007, sources said.