Lalmonirhat youth detained from Baishakhi fair, tortured to death by police, family claims
A man has died in police custody in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila last night after he was detained from a Baishakhi fair on charge of gambling, said police.
The deceased was identified as Rabiul Islam (26), a timber trader from Kazir Chawra village, reports our Lalmonirhat correspondent.
However, family members claimed that Rabiul was tortured to death by a police official after being detained from the Baishakhi fair in Chawra and he was not involved in gambling.
Witnesses at the fair said that Rabiul came to the Baishakhi fair but he was not gambling.
He had an altercation with the law enforcers while being detained. Police got angry and started beating him following the altercation, leaving Rabiul dead on the spot, witnesses claimed.
Locals including the victim's family members blocked Lalmonirhat-Burimari highway at Mahendranagar demanding exemplary punishment of the policeman allegedly involved in the incident.
Starting from around 2:00pm, they withdrew the blockade around 3:00pm when police assured them of taking legal step against the responsible persons, our local correspondent reports.
Sohag Khan, younger brother of Rabiul, claimed that his brother had never been involved with gambling. He went to the Baishakhi fair near their home to buy toys for his eight-month-old daughter.
He alleged that Sub-inspector Halimur Rahman of Sadar Police Station beat him severely which led to the death of his brother.
Police later took the body to Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital.
"The body of my brother is kept at hospital morgue. We are preparing to take legal action against the policeman," Sohag said.
Monira Begum, wife of the deceased, said that "My husband was innocent. He was never involved in bad deeds. He was the only earning member in our family. Police ended his life and ruined our family."
The victim's mother Safia Begum demanded justice for his son's death.
"I want punishment of the policeman who beat my son to death," she said.
Contacted, SI Halimur Rahman did not agree to make any comment about the matter.
Talking to journalists, Rabiul Islam, additional superintendent of Lalmonirhat police, said the youth was an identified gambler and was sick. He was detained while gambling.
The police official said that the man fell ill while being in detention. Later he was admitted to hospital where doctors declared him dead.
"If police tortured the youth and he died for it, we will seriously investigate and take necessary action against the guilty," he said adding that an autopsy report will reveal how the young man died.
Dr Kamrul Hasan Prince, resident medical officer of Lalmonirhat Sadar Hospital confirmed that the body was kept there.
The cause of death will be known following the autopsy, the doctor who refrained from making any further comment, said.
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