Family members beaten up after calling 999, three policemen suspended
Three members of a family have allegedly been tortured by policemen instead of getting help from them after calling national emergency service number 999.
A member of the family has been in the jail for more than a week after being arrested in a 'false case' filed by those against whom the callers brought about an allegation of attack.
The incident occurred in the Bibir Bagicha area under the Jatrabari police station in the capital on 8 March.
Three police members of Jatrabari police station have been suspended for showing non-professional attitude during the incident. In addition, the police have recommended departmental actions against a member of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP.
A three-member probe committee headed by additional deputy commissioner of (ADC) Wari zone of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Kamrul Islam has been formed to investigate the incident.
The temporarily suspended police members are - Jatrabari police station’s sub-inspector (SI) Bishwajit Sarker, constable Shawkat Ali and Nabanita Bansen. Apart from that, police also recommended taking departmental actions against Suman Dev, the constable on duty with the accused police members and sending him back to the force.
Shah Iftekhar Ahmed, deputy commissioner (DC) of Wari Zone of DMP, told Prothom Alo on Saturday that three members of Jatrabari police station had behaved unprofessionally while trying to arrest the accused in the case. They all have been temporarily suspended.
Speaking to Prothom Alo, Shilpi Akter, a member of the family, said their neighbour Nurul Islam has been trying to block the way out from their house for a long time.
On 8 March, Nurul tried to block the way by constructing a wall there and the family members of Shilpi Akter protested as Nurul and his men were constructing the wall defying the court order. However, they were assaulted as they resisted.
At the time Shilpi Akter called 999 seeking help from the police.
Shilpi Akter said, “I tried the national emergency service number thrice. But instead of helping us, police worked in favour of Nurul Islam who filed an attempt to murder case against my father Abul Khayer, brother Yusuf Hossain and sister Halima Akter. The police came to arrest my father, brother and sister and beat them. Nurul Islam's men beat them in front of the police. My brother has been in jail for a week in this false case.”
Artist Akhter alleged that the assaulters had also cut off the water supply line of their house on the day. As a result, a total of 18 tenants' families live in the house, including her family, had to endure immense sufferings. The water connection was restored this morning. The walls have been partially demolished by the police to make a way.
The victims’ family further alleged that they have a dispute with Nurul Islam over this road since 2004. Nurul Islam wants to block the road and evict them. His target is to forcibly occupy the house.
Asked about the construction of the wall and the allegation of the case, Nurul Islam told Prothom Alo, “There was a wall at that place before. Around eight to nine years ago Abul Khayer demolished the wall to make a path. On the day of the incident, they attacked us when we tried to reconstruct the wall. Later, I filed a case with the local police station.”
According to the police, Abul Khayer lodged a case against Nurul Islam on charges of extortion following a dispute between the two groups over the path. Nurul Islam had to serve a few days in prison for that.
Asked about the allegations of a false case, deputy commissioner Shah Iftekhar Ahmed said that Abul Khayer sought help through 999 on the morning of the day of the incident. After that police members went there and helped them. A fight erupted between the two parties after the members of police left the spot. A case was filed over the incident at around 12.00pm. The members of police behaved unprofessionally while trying to arrest the accused.
Meanwhile, the incident was recorded by a close circuit camera nearby. The CCTV footage showed constable Nabanita Bonsen beating a woman with a stick. At one point she started torturing the woman by pulling her hair and tried to strangulate the woman.
On the other hand, accused SI Biswajit Sarkar and constable Shawkat were seen beating up two male members of the house and bringing them downstairs.