Prisoner's 'mysterious' death at court <i>hajat</i>
An under trial prisoner was found dead at a court hajat (custody) in Rangpur on Tuesday.
He was identified as Mosharraf Hossain Babu, 35, son of late Momtaj Ali of Purbo Khasbagh area in Rangpur city. Babu was arrested in a drug smuggling case on September 27 in 2011.
Police brought Babu to the court hajat in the morning to produce him in the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court-4 in connection with the case.
Some prisoners, who were also brought to the custody from jail, said on condition of anonymity that police demanded Tk 400 from Babu's mother to buy food for him.
As Babu's mother refused to give them (police) money, they stopped supplying food to him, the prisoners said, adding that Babu locked in an altercation with the police men over the issue and at one stage, they strangled him.
Refuting the allegation, police said the under trial prisoner committed suicide by hanging himself from the ventilator of toilet of the court hajat.
They sent the body to Rangpur Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy. A UD case was lodged with Kotwali Police Station the same day.
Family members alleged that Babu was tortured to death at the court hajat. A procession was also brought out on the court premises on the day demanding exemplary punishment to the persons responsible for Babu's death.
Citing the autopsy report, Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Police Station Altaf Hossain yesterday told this correspondent that the under trial prisoner committed suicide.
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