HC grants 6 months bail to accused Sylhet cop in custodial death case

The High Court granted six months bail to the suspended sub-inspector of police Md Hasan Uddin, one of the accused in the murder case of Rayhan Ahmed in police custody, UNB reports.

HC bench of Justice SM Abdul Mobin and Justice Md Atwar Rahman passed the order on Sunday.

Barrister Ruhul Kuddus Kazal and Abdul Alim Bhuiyan Jewel appeared for the accused while Deputy Attorney General Sujit Chatterjee represented the state during the hearing.

On 18 April, the official trial in the case began with the Sylhet Metropolitan Session Judge Court Judge MD Abdur Rahim framing charges against the six accused including five police members.

On 10 October, 2020, Rayhan Ahmed, 34, a resident of Akharia in Sylhet city, was tortured in police custody at Bandarbazar police outpost and he succumbed to the injuries the next day.

Following a case filed by his wife Tahmina Akter Tanni at Kotwali Police station, Sylhet Metropolitan Police found evidence of torture during investigation.

On 12 October, four policemen, including the in-charge of Bandarbazar Police outpost Sub-Inspector Akbar Hossain were suspended and three others were removed from their posts in connection with the death of a man ‘in police custody’ in Sylhet.

Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) later arrested four accused in this case including constable Harun and arrested main accused SI Akbar Hossain from Kanaighat border area on 9 October next year.

On 5 May, 2021, PBI submitted chargesheet in this case accusing Badarbazar police outpost SI Akbar Hossain, 32, Assistant SI Asheq Elahi, 43, Constable Md Harun Ur Rashid, 32, Titu Chandra Das, 38, SI Hasan Uddin, 32, and absconding Abdullah Al Noman, 32, a journalist from Companiganj upazila.