Man dies in police custody

A CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver died in custody at Dashmina Police Station in Patuakhali.

The victim's family alleged police tortured him to death. The law enforcers, however, claimed that the man took poison in custody.

The dead -- Liton Kha, of Bashbaria village in Dashmina upazila -- used to drive a CNG-run auto-rickshaw in Dhaka.

According to the victim's relatives, Liton had a longstanding land-related dispute with the authorities of a local madrasa.

Following the dispute, the madrasa authorities recently filed a complaint with police and upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) mentioning Liton killed their fishes and constructed house on the madrasa's land, they added.

Liton's brother-in-law Mofizur Rahman Gazi said police held Liton around 4:00pm on Sunday on the basis of that complaint.

"Hearing the news, I rushed to the police station and saw Liton was sick. Some policemen were taking him to a local health complex," he said.

After providing primary treatment, on-duty doctors there sent Liton to Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital in Barishal where he died around 1:00am on Monday, he added.

Contacted, Anik Mitra, medical officer of Dashmina Health Complex, said they washed Liton's stomach twice for cleaning out poison then referred him to Barishal hospital.

Liton's wife Mazeda Begum said Liton was completely well when police held him. He fell sick being tortured by police. "I want justice," she said.

The victim's father-in-law Matlab Gazi said, "Liton did not take any poison. Rather, he was tortured to death."

Contacted, Mohammad Jashim, officer-in-charge of Dashmina Police Station, said police did not check his body when he was held.

Liton was carrying poison with him. As he was taken to the police station, he went to the toilet and took the poison. He started shouting a few moments later. Policemen rushed to the toilet and recovered a bottle of poison there, he added.

Police authorities formed a three-member probe body, headed by district's additional superintendent of police Mostafizur Rahman, to investigate the matter.

The probe body has been asked to submit report by five working days, said the probe body chief.

Meanwhile, a day after the incident, police claimed to have recovered a suicide note from an abandoned place of Liton's house.

The note read, "Bashbaria Rajjabia Dakhil Madrasa super Maulana Mohammad Shihab Uddin and a local Mohammad Mofiz Khan will be responsible for my death."