‘Custodial Death’: HC asks Rangpur cops to submit probe report

The High Court yesterday sought a probe report, an autopsy report and a copy of the case filed over the death of Tajul Islam in the custody of Rangpur police.

The bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman made Rangpur police a respondent to the rule and asked it to submit the report by November 11.

The bench passed the order on a suomuto move after Deputy Attorney General Amit Das Gupta submitted a statement of police on the incident before it, following the court's directives.

Rangpur police formed a four-member committee, headed by an additional police commissioner, to investigate the incident, DAG Amit Das Gupta said citing the statement.

On Tuesday, the HC bench wanted to know about the alleged custodial death, the subsequent attack on law enforcers by a mob, and the government steps taken over the issues.

The bench set November 15 for passing further orders on the matter.

Mehedul Karim, additional commissioner of Rangpur police, was made the head of the probe committee, reported our Dinajpur correspondent, quoting Sajjad Hossain, additional deputy commissioner (DB and media) of Rangpur Metropolitan Police.

The other members of the committee are Kazi Muttaki Ibn Minan, deputy commissioner (DB), Abu Bakkar, deputy commissioner (CTTB), and Kazi Arifuzzaman, assistant commissioner (Poshuram zone).

Tajul Islam was reportedly tortured to death in police custody in Rangpur's Kaunia on Monday.

The bench passed the order after Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua placed a Prothom Alo report on the incident and appealed to the court to pass necessary directives on the issue.

After the news spread that a man was tortured to death by police, a mob reportedly threw brickbats at Haragach Police Station and vandalised a few police vehicles on Monday evening.

Police said they had not tortured anyone.

On the other hand, Mortaza Rahman, brother of the victim, has filed an unnatural death case with Haragach Police Station early Tuesday.