Raihan's death in police custody
Sylhet court accepts charge sheet against SI Akbar, five others
A Sylhet court on Thursday accepted the charge sheet filed by police against six people, including suspended sub-inspector Akbar Hossain Bhuiya in a case filed over death of Raihan Ahmed in police custody.
Five of the six accused, including Akbar, were produced before Sylhet additional chief metropolitan magistrate Abul Momen this morning, reports UNB.
The court also issued an arrest warrant against the absconding sixth accused -- Abdullah Al Noman, who had allegedly helped Akbar flee the country, said Sylhet Metropolitan Police inspector Pradeep Chandra Das.
Akbar, constables Harunur Rashid and Titu, and ASI Asheque were directly responsible for Raihan's custodial death.
The other four accused in the case are sub-inspector Hasan Ali, assistant sub-inspector Asheque Elahi, and constables Harunur Rashid and Titu Chandra Das of the Bandarbazar police outpost. All the accused policemen are currently in judicial custody.
On 5 May, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted the charge sheet in the case.
According to the charge sheet, Akbar, constables Harunur Rashid and Titu, and ASI Asheque were directly responsible for Raihan's custodial death.
On 11 October last year, the 34-resident of Akharia in Sylhet city, was allegedly beaten to death in police custody.
His wife Tahmina Akter Tanni filed a complaint at the Kotwali police station the following day, following which an FIR was registered against unidentified people.
Four policemen, including then in-charge of the Bandarbazar police outpost Akbar, were suspended on 12 October. The three other policemen were also withdrawn from the outpost the same day.
Later, the case was transferred to the PBI.
Raihan called his mother from an unknown number and told her that police took him to the Bandarbazar outpost and demanded Tk 10,000 for his release, in the early hours of 11 October. Later that day, his uncle rushed to the police outpost with Tk 5,000 but the cops allegedly refused to accept the bribe and asked him to return after arranging Tk 10,000.
Meanwhile, the Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) had formed a committee to probe the custodial death of Raihan. A primary probe by the committee found evidence against the accused cops.
The victim's autopsy report revealed over 100 injury marks on his body and two of his nails were also pulled out.
On 22 October, then SMP commissioner Golam Kibria was transferred over widespread criticism of the role of police in Raihan’s death.
On 29 November, physician Shamsul Islam, the chief of the Forensic Department of Osmani Medical College Hospital, said that Raihan died due to severe injuries "as per the viscera report".
On 18 November 2020, a court remanded Akbar in judicial custody in connection with Raihan’s death. He was arrested from the Dona frontier area of Kanaighat on 10 November.
How Raihan died
Raihan was allegedly beaten to death in police custody on 11 October 2020.
Raihan called his mother from an unknown number and told her that police took him to the Bandarbazar outpost and demanded Tk 10,000 for his release, in the early hours of 11 October.
Later that day, his uncle rushed to the police outpost with Tk 5,000 but the cops allegedly refused to accept the bribe and asked him to return after arranging Tk 10,000.
Raihan’s uncle then again went to the Bandarbazar police outpost with the money but was told that his nephew had fallen sick and taken to a hospital at 6.40am.
When his uncle went to the hospital, he came to know that Raihan was dead and his body had been sent for post-mortem.
Turning down the allegations of custodial torture, police then said that Raihan was caught by locals in the Kastghar area during a robbery and had been lynched.
However, the news of Raihan’s death triggered massive protests and locals had blocked the Sylhet-Sunamganj highway, demanding action against the accused cops.