Suspended OC sent to jail on surrender

Suspended officer-in-charge of Sylhet Kotwali Police Station Ataur Rahman was sent to jail after he surrendered before a court yesterday in a case filed against him and seven other policemen on the charge of torturing a businessman inside the police station last year.

Sylhet Metropolitan Magistrate (first) Shahedul Karim rejected a bail prayer of Ataur and ordered to send him to jail.

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A team of police led by the then OC Ataur detained poultry trader Kamal Ahmed Chowdhury on the charge of violating traffic rules on July 17 last year. According to the case statement, police later tortured Kamal in the police station and admitted the victim to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital the following day.  

Kamal's younger brother Shamim Ahmed Chowdhury, also former central member of Bangladesh Chhatra League, filed the case on July 27 against eight policemen, including  Ataur, following a High Court order asking police to record the case after Shamim filed a writ petition.

Other accused are inspector (investigation) Shaymal Banik, sub-inspector Ashraful Islam, ASI Abu Taher and constables Adhir Chandra, Rajib Kanti Das, Azadur Rahman and Nazmul Hossain.

The eight policemen went into hiding since they were suspended on July 27 last year.

Recently, a court issued arrest warrants for the policemen and ordered to confiscate the movable and immovable properties of the main accused Ataur. However, police could not find any properties of Ataur at his address at Zakiganj in Sylhet.