‘Murder’ of Man: Court orders probe into cops’ involvement

Police on Thursday formed a committee to investigate the death of a man allegedly killed by several policemen in Mymensingh.

The move came after a court ordered police to probe the matter on Sunday.

Instructed by the court, the Police Bureau of Investigation opened a separate probe.

Victim’s mother Azufa Khatun, of Barobaria union, filed a case with a Mymensingh court on Sunday accusing 10 people, including three policemen and a union parishad member, over the death of her son Liton Mia, 30.

According to the case statement, police went to Liton’s house on April 23, beat him up and took him to a local hospital. Later, he died at a private hospital in the capital where he was admitted in critical condition.

According to hospital documents, Liton was admitted to Mymensingh Medical College Hospital by police. His name was mentioned as Kamruzzaman, a victim of road accident.

Contacted, Abdul Ahad Khan, officer-in-charge of Gafargaon Police Station, denied the allegations.

Asked why Liton’s house was raided and whether he was admitted to the hospital with a different name, the police official said, “Everything was done in line with the rules”.

The “false case” was filed to harass police, he added.

A sub-inspector of Gafargaon Police Station, who is an accused in the case, said they had arrest warrant for Kamruzzaman, an expatriate in Saudi Arabia, facing domestic violence charges.

Police conducted a raid in the area on information that Kamruzzaman returned home. But there was a misunderstanding as fathers’ name of both Liton and Kamruzzaman are same, the SI claimed.

When police went to Liton’s house, the frightened man tried to flee. At that time, he fell off from the roof of his tin-shed house and injured himself critically, the SI added.

Liton died on May 9, 15 days after the incident.

His mother alleged that police made up the story to protect Kamruzzaman.

Kulsum Akter, Liton’s sister, alleged that an UP member in the area was behind the police raid. The UP member is an accomplice of a man who had borrowed Tk 150,000 from Liton and never paid back.

Abul Kashem, chairman of Barobaria Union Parishad, said, “As far as I know, Liton Mia had no criminal record.”

The probe body of Mymensingh district police is headed by SA Newazi, additional superintendent of the district police. The committee also includes Additional Superintendent of Police (Gafargaon circle) Ali Haider Chowdhury and Inspector Muklesur Rahman of the district police’s special branch.

The court asked the probe body to submit its reports within seven working days.