The High Court (HC) has allowed the probe body two more months to submit the investigation report over the death of Sultana Jesmin, an office assistant of Chandipur union land office in Naogaon, under the custody of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
A HC bench comprising justice Farah Mahbub and justice Mahbub-Ul Islam passed the order on Tuesday following the hearing on a writ of the state seeking time extension to complete the investigation over the death.
In the hearing, the court said, “The matter is sensitive. Don’t cross two months. Two months mean two months. Don’t delay anymore.”
Earlier, the HC ordered the cabinet secretary to form a high-powered committee to investigate the death of Sultana Jesmin under the RAB custody.
It also asked to engage two judges, including the chief judicial magistrate of Naogaon, in the probe committee and stipulated a 60-day period for submission of the findings.
In the hearing, lawyer Manoj Kumar Bhowmik represented the writ while deputy attorney general Samorendra Nath Biswas stood for the state -- who on behalf of the cabinet secretary pleaded for a two-month time extension to finish the investigation.
He said a high-powered committee headed by the cabinet secretary was formed on 22 May. The committee has already visited Rajshahi and Naogaon to collect necessary evidence.
The court asked, "Has the investigation process been completed?" In replying to the court’s query, the deputy attorney general said, "Evidence was collected. Investigation has not ended yet. The committee is pleading for a time extension of two months to submit the probe report."
The court asked, "When did the committee visit the scene?"
Samorendra Nath replied, "The committee visited the spot between 29 and 31 May. Those cell phones that were used to communicate have already been seized and will go under forensic test. The probe report will be prepared, considering the overall situation."
Lawyer Manoj Kumar Bhowmik said the court issued an order on 5 April. The committee was formed on 22 May. It took more than one month to form a committee after the order was issued. They could be granted one more month to finish the task.
At that time, the court said, "The matter is sensitive. Time won’t be extended anymore. Two months mean two months. Finish the task within the timeframe." Later the court issued the order.
Sultana Jesmin was detained by a team of RAB-5 from Naogaon city on 22 March, upon a verbal complaint of Enamul Haque, director (joint secretary) of the local government division’s Rajshahi office. Enamul Haque alleged that Sultana Jesmin along with a certain Al Amin hacked his Facebook account and used it to lure different people into job offers.
Jesmin fell sick after being picked up by the RAB men. She was first taken to a hospital in Naogaon and later was shifted to Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital. She, however, died on 24 March. Family members alleged that Jesmin died from torture in the RAB custody.
It was learnt after her death that Enamul Haque had sued Jesmin in a case with Rajpara police station in Rajshahi under the Digital Security Act (DSA) on 23 March.