Cop's son dies in police custody

Sub-Inspector Delwar Hossain is speechless in front of the body of his son Moniruzzaman Rubel who died in police custody. The photo was taken at Tangail General Hospital yesterday.Photo: STAR

A son of a police officer died in police custody yesterday allegedly due to heavy beating during interrogation.
Deceased Moniruzzaman Rubel, 27, of Adi Tangail area in Tangail town and son of Sub-Inspector Delwar Hossain of an OC office (wireless section) in Jamalpur, was a medicine trader.
Victim's elder brother Iqbal Hossain said sub-inspectors Mosharraf Hossain and Shoeb Ahmed of Tangail Sadar Model Police Station picked up Rubel from his shop around 11:00am Wednesday stating that they would interrogate him about a stolen motorbike that belonged to SI Mosharraf.
He claimed that law enforcers mercilessly beat up Rubel at the police station at night and sent him to Tangail General Hospital in the morning as his condition became serious.
Doctor Mujahidul Islam of emergency department of the hospital told The Daily Star that police brought Rubel at the hospital in a critical condition around 9:30am and the youth died at 9:45am.
“When I came to know about the arrest, I called SI Mosharraf over his cell phone and asked him to take legal steps if my son was found guilty. He, however, told me that Rubel would be released if he got back his bike,” said Rubel's father SI Delwar Hossain.
He alleged that it was a cold-blooded murder and demanded punishment to the police officers responsible for the death.
Victim's uncle Abdul Haque said Rubel called his mother over the phone from the police station earlier yesterday morning and said the police officers were calling him the thief and that he [Rubel] would be tortured more if SI Mosharraf did not get a bike.
Jasim Uddin Sarkar, officer-in-charge of Tangail Model Police Station, told The Daily Star that Rubel was accused in two criminal cases -- one for homicide and the other for stealing a motorbike -- filed with the police station.
Contacted, Jamil Hasan, acting superintendent of police (SP) in Tangail, said he has already closed SI Mosharraf Hossain and a three-member committee led by Tangail Additional SP Masud Ahmed was formed to probe the incident.
Rubel's body was sent to Tangail General Hospital morgue for an autopsy. Executive Magistrate Rabiul Islam was present during the autopsy.
When Rubel's body was returned to his parents, his family members and locals brought out a procession with the body demanding exemplary punishment to SI Mosharraf.
Till filing of the report as of 10:30pm, the victim's family was preparing to lodge a case with Tangail sadar police station in connection with Rubel's death.