Man ‘commits suicide’ in police custody, family claims beaten dead

An elderly man is said to have killed himself at a police outpost in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur on Wednesday but his family members claimed the policemen tortured him to death, reports news agency UNB.

The deceased was identified as Shamsul Haque, 60, of Shantipur village in Mithapukur upazila of the district.

A police team of Bhendabari police outpost arrested Shamsul and seized locally made alcohol from Baradargah area of Pirganj around 9:00pm on Tuesday, said Saresh Chandra, officer-in-charge of Pirganj police station.

“He was found hanging from the window grill in the next morning,” claimed the OC.

But Shamsul’s daughter has alleged that her father was tortured to death at the police outpost. She also alleged that police members had demanded Tk. 100,000 bribe from her father.

“As he refused to pay the money, the policemen implicated him with liquor business and tortured him, leading to his death,” added the daughter, Shantona.

As news of the incident spread, local people staged demonstrations and lay siege to the police outpost.

To bring the situation under control police had to fire rubber bullets and use tear shells, which injured at least 20 people.

Maruf Hossain, additional superintendent of police in Rangpur, said additional police members have been deployed in the area.

Biplob Kumar Sarkar, superintendent of police in Rangpur, said a three-member probe body has been formed to piece together the events that actually transpired while Shamsul Haque was in police custody.

Five policemen including sub-inspector Aminul, who was in-charge of the outpost, were withdrawn from the station and attached to the district police lines in connection with the incident, Sarkar added.