5 Savar cops found guilty

Five policemen have been found guilty of abduction and torture during an investigation, which led to the custodial death of a businessman in Savar, Shamim Sarkar, on June 06.
The probe committee, headed by Additional Deputy Inspector General Mizanur Rahman, has learnt that Assistant Sub-inspector (ASI) of Savar Police Station Akidul Islam, police constables Ramjan Ali, Mofazzal Hossain and Yousuf Ali and Ashulia Police Station Sub-inspector Emdadul Haque were behind Shamim's death.
The committee submitted its report to the deputy inspector general (DIG) of Dhaka police on Tuesday.
It also blamed lack of supervision and negligence of duty by higher police officials at Savar for the incident.
The five are now in jail. They were arrested in a case filed by the victim's brother Amin Sarkar on the day he died.
A civil team of Savar police picked up Shamim from Hemayetpur around 10:30pm on June 05. The policemen then tortured him at Jhauchar police outpost, demanding ransom.
However, a written order had been sent to all police stations in Dhaka district three days earlier, asking those to stop all activities of police civil teams, except for that of Detective Branch, said Additional DIG Mizanur Rahman.
"Had the officer-in-charge of Savar Police Station followed the instruction, this incident would not have taken place," he said.
Departmental actions were recommended against the OC, Asaduzzaman, and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Savar circle Moshiuddin for the indiscipline at the outpost, Mizanur said.
The report also recommended departmental actions against in-charge of the Jhauchar post Assistant Sub-inspector Shahidul Islam, who had been absent from duty on the day of the incident, and Savar Police Station civil team's chief Sub-inspector Sajjad Romon, who had failed to inform his seniors of Shamim's detention though he had witnessed it.
Shahidul had also breached departmental rules by removing sentries from the outpost about a month before the incident, Mizanur said.
"If the investigation officer finds Sajjad's involvement in the abduction, legal action will be taken against him," he added.
Eleven policemen, including ASI Shahidul, were transferred from the outpost a day after the incident.
Mizanur said that on the basis of complaints from local people against the misdeeds at the outpost, the committee had suggested that the ASP of the Savar circle inspect the area at least twice every month and hold meetings to hear from the residents about their problems.
Another probe committee headed by Additional SP Faruque Hossain of Dhaka submitted a report to the SP on Tuesday.
The Daily Star contacted Faruque but he refused to give details of their findings.