‘Custodial death’ in Rangpur: HC seeks police probe report

The High Court today sought a probe report on the alleged custodial death of Tajul Islam in Rangpur, as a four-member committee has been formed by the police administration in order to conduct an inquiry into the incident.

The court asked Rangpur police to submit -- before it by November 11 -- the probe report, including the post mortem report of Tajul Islam, and also the copy of the case filed over the death.

The HC bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman passed the order on a suo moto (voluntary) move after Deputy Attorney General Amit Das Gupta submitted a statement of police on the incident before it.

The statement said police have conducted inquest on the body of Tajul Islam and found no injury marks.

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

A four-member committee has been formed headed by an additional police commissioner of Rangpur in order to conduct inquiry into the incident and the committee has been asked to submit the probe report in seven days, 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.

Our Dinajpur correspondent reports, Rangpur police has formed the four-member probe committee with Additional Police Commissioner Mehedul Karim as its chief, Additional Deputy Police Commissioner (DB and Media) of Rangpur Metropolitan Police Sajjad Hossain confirmed.

The other members of the committee are Deputy Police Commissioner (DB) Kazi Muttaki Ibn Minan, Deputy Police Commissioner (CTTB) Abu Bakkar and Assistant Commissioner (Poshuram Zone) Kazi Arifuzzaman.

Citing locals, it was reported in the media that Tajul Islam was tortured to death under 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.