Five people, including Chattogram Central Jail's superintendent, were sued yesterday for torturing a prisoner with electric shocks and drug injections.

The other four were the jailer, assistant surgeon of the jail's hospital, and one civilian

The prisoner Rupam Kanti Nath has been undergoing treatment at Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH) under the jail authority's custody, said the prisoner's lawyer Bhulon Lal Bhoumik.

The victim's wife Jharna Rani Debnath, 42, filed the case with the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ashfaqur Rahman accusing the jail officials and one Ratan Bhattacharya, business partner of Rupam, of torturing her husband in custody. The plaintiff did not mention any other names in the case.

"Taking the case into cognisance, the court ordered the Police Bureau of Investigation to probe into the case and submit a report," added Bhulon Lal.

The case statement said Ratam and Rupam were business partners and, following a feud, Ratan filed a case with the court against Rupam, after which the latter was sent to the jail on December 15 last year.

"A few days ago, the jail authority phoned the victim's wife saying that Rupam was in bad condition and was being treated in hospital. They also said they will bear the cost of Rupam's treatment and asked them [Rupam's family] not to worry," said Bhulon Lal.

"Following the information, the victim's wife submitted a plea before the court to shift her husband to hospital from jail on February 28. The court granted the plea. Later, she was able to meet her husband at CMCH, where she found injury marks all over his body and learned of the torture he had to endure," said the lawyer.

Citing the case statement, he said, "The accused injected drugs into the victim's arms for mental distortion and gave him electric shocks to force a confession out of him."

"The incident took place between 24th and 25th February at Sangu-1 of the jail territory," he added.

Speaking to The Daily Star, Md Shafiqul Islam, the accused jail super, said, "The allegation is baseless. We are the custodians of the prisoners and there is no room for torturing a prisoner for confessions inside the jail," adding that Rupam was admitted to CMCH on February 25 because of diabetes.

He also said the Rupam was suffering from some kind of infection in his groin, which was later operated on by doctors while he was in hospital.

"A five-member probe committee was formed by the jail authority to investigate the incident," added the jail super.