3 Dhaka cops indicted over custodial death of youth

A Dhaka Court today framed charges against five persons including three former policemen of Pallabi Police Station in connection with death of a youth in police custody in February 2014.

The court fixed May 16 to start trial of the case.

Ishtiaq Ahmed Jonny, his brother Imtiaz Hassan Rocky and three others were detained by a police team, led by SI Jahidur, on February 9, 2014, when they were celebrating a pre-wedding programme of Jonny's friend at Irani camp in Pallabi, prosecution said.

Informer Sumon and his friends Russell and Nasim called police after Jonny slapped Sumon for stalking women at the programme. Later, Jonny, 28, was allegedly tortured to death.

Following the incident, the victim's brother, Rocky, on August 7 that year filed a case against nine people, including SI Jahidur.

Later, a metropolitan magistrate conducted a judicial inquiry and found Jahidur and four others' involvement into the matter.  Jahidur is also accused of being involved in the custodial death of a garment-waste trader in Mirpur.

The indicted policemen and two sources pleaded guilty and demanded justice after Judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court of Dhaka read out the charges to them.

The accused are Sub-inspector Jahidur Rahman Khan, assistant sub-inspectors Md Kamruzzaman Minto and Rashedul Hassan and police informers Sumon and Russell.