Death in SMP police custody: SI Akbar among 6 indicted

The charge sheet in a case filed over the custodial death of Raihan Ahmed at Bandarbazar police outpost in Sylhet has been filed against six including the outpost’s sub-inspector Akbar Hossain Bhuiyan.

Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) was investigating into the case.

Raihan Ahmed from Akhalia, Sylhet was picked up by police on 10 October midnight last year and was tortured at Bandarbazar police outpost. He died on 11 October.

Following a case filed under the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act by his wife, an investigation team of Sylhet Metropolitan Police found the allegation of torture of Raihan in police custody as true.

PBI said the first autopsy of Raihan was performed at Osmani Medical College Hospital, Sylhet on the day of the victim’s death on 11 October. The report mentioned about finding 111 injury marks on Raihan’s body and two of his nails were pulled off. Viscera report also found torture marks on his body.

Upon finding the torture allegation true, SMP suspended four policemen including the police outpost in-charge SI Akbar Hossain Bhuiyan and withdrew three others on 12 October.

On 13 October, Akbar fled from police custody. Later, he was arrested from Kanaighat border area in Sylhet on 9 November. Earlier, suspended constables Titu Chandra Das and Harun ar Rashid and withdrawn ASI Ashek Elahi were arrested in the cases.