Death in Pabna Custody
3 policemen sued on charge of killing Hassan Ali
The maternal uncle of Hassan Ali, who died in police custody at Faridpur police station on February 14 night, has filed a murder case with Judicial Magistrate's Court-2 in Pabna against three policemen on charge of killing his nephew. Officer-in-charge (OC) Md Abu Jafar, sub inspector (SI) Md Akhter Hossain and constable Golam Mostafa of Faridpur police station have been made accused in the case filed by Md Abdul Mannan, the maternal uncle of Hassan Ali on Sunday, court sources said. "Locals caught Hassan from his residence at Arkandi village in Faridpur upazila under Pabna district on February 14 in a false charge and handed him to Faridpur police station. But the accused policemen tortured the victim and demanded Tk 50 thousand, threatening him of more serious torture," goes the prosecution. “As the victim refused to pay the money the accused officers along with other members of the police station tortured my nephew (Hassan) to death. "Subsequently the accused policemen in collusion with the doctors collected a fake medical report and filed an UD (unnatural death) case with the police station. When I tried to protest they (accused) threatened me too," it added. Receiving the case, Judicial Magistrate's Court-2 in Pabna ordered Judicial Magistrate Md Shamsul Alam to investigate it, said advocate Abdul Bari, the counsel of the case. The court also asked the complainant to produce the witnesses to the court on February 28, the counsel said. The complainant mentioned the names of four witnesses -- Faridpur Upazila Parishad Chairman Md Johurul Islam Bakul, local schoolteacher Ismail Hossain, and local residents Babul Akter and Hossen Ali. Locals handed over Hassan Ali, 40, son of Afsar Mollah of village Arkandi in Faridpur upazila, to police allegedly after rescuing a five-year-boy from him on February 14. But Hassan died in Faridpur police station lockup at night and his body bore injury marks, sources said. Police immediately claimed that the victim committed suicide in the lockup. Pabna Police Superintendent Jahangir Hossain Matobbar suspended the on-duty officer SI Md Akhter Hossain and constable Golam Mostafa for negligence of duty and formed a four-member inquiry committee headed by Additional Superintendent of Police Md Mosharaf Hossain to investigate the incident. Denying the allegation of torturing Hassan to death, OC Md Abu Jafar said police will face the case through legal process. Meanwhile, sources alleged that the police are trying to 'manage' the incident.
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