Shariatpur Addl SP, OC sued for torture in custody

An additional superintendent of police and an officer-in-charge of a police station have been sued under the Torture and Custodial Death (Prohibition) Act for allegedly torturing four people in custody.

The accused are Rasel Monir, an additional SP (Naria Circle) of Shariatpur, and Sheikh Md Mostafizur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Padma Bridge South Police Station.

Shariatpur Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Al-Imran on Wednesday accepted the statements of the four victims as a case, sources at the court told The Daily Star today.

The magistrate also directed the superintendent of police in Shariatpur to submit a report before the court after taking proper legal steps by July 9.

In his order, the magistrate said he found the victim's medical reports, which found several injury marks on their bodies, to be consistent with their statements.

On June 4, the same magistrate heard the statements of the victims -- Saddam Chokdar, Bokul Chowdar, Saidul Sheikh and Anowar Hossain -- who are accused in a case filed under sections 4 and 5 of the Law and Order Disruption (Speedy Trial) Act.

On the same day, he also directed the superintendent of Shariatpur Sadar Hospital to submit medical reports within 24 hours after examining their bodies.

On June 6, the hospital superintendent submitted the medical reports before the court.

A cousin of two victims told The Daily Star, "My brothers were severely tortured by some cops while they were in police custody."

Asked, Md Saiful Haque, SP of Shariatpur, said he is not aware of such court order.