Writ filed for judicial probe

A writ petition was filed with the High Court yesterday, seeking court directives to form a judicial committee to probe the alleged police torture on Bangladesh Bank official Golam Rabbi.

The petition also sought arrest of Sub-inspector Masud Shikder of Mohammadpur Police Station, who allegedly tortured Rabbi on January 9.

SC lawyers AKM Ehsanur Rahman and SM Zulfiqure Ali and journalist Jahid Hasan filed the petition as public interest litigation.

They also prayed to the HC for an order on the government to give the victim a compensation of Tk 3 crore.

Meanwhile, the one-member committee formed by Dhaka Metropolitan Police to probe the alleged torture on Rabbi submitted its report without any recommendations.

Details of the probe report submitted on Saturday could not be known.

Masud, who was withdrawn from duty on January 11, was suspended on Saturday.

On January 9 night, Masud and his subordinates allegedly beat up Rabbi and demanded Tk 5 lakh from him. The SI allegedly threatened to kill him in "a shootout" and frame him in narcotics cases if he didn't pay them the money.

The police brutality caused a widespread public outrage, and many expressed their anger and frustration on the social media.

Talking to reporters at the Supreme Court Bar Association yesterday, petitioners' lawyer AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon said the writ petition mentioned that policemen led by SI Masud tortured Rabbi in violation of his fundamental rights and the constitution.

Rabbi's physical condition is very bad, and it is doubtful whether he will fully recover from injuries. “So, he should be given compensation,” he said.

Mahbub said a police probe into the incident might not be fair and impartial. The petitioners prayed to the HC to ask the government to investigate the incident through a judicial probe body.

Given the gravity of SI Masud's offence, his suspension is not enough as punishment, he said.

Rabbi submitted an application to the police authorities, describing the torture on him. The petitioners prayed to the HC to direct the police to accept the application as first information report, said Mahbub.

The HC may hear the petition today, he added.

PROBE REPORT

The report gave full details of what happened between SI Masud and Rabbi on January 9. But it didn't make any recommendations, said Biblob Kumar Sarkar, deputy commissioner (Tejgaon division) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

“I will not say anything about the report. I have sent it to commissioner sir, and he will decide on the next step,” Biblob told The Daily Star.

Though Biblob received the report on Saturday, he forwarded it to DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia yesterday.

The commissioner could not be reached for comments despite repeated attempts.

On January 11, DMP Deputy Commissioner Biblob formed a one-member committee comprising Assistant Commissioner Hafiz Al Faruque of Tejgaon division to investigate the alleged police torture on Rabbi.

Four days later, the police headquarters formed a three-member committee led by Additional DIG (ICT) Harun-ur-Rashid to probe the incident.

The committee is also investigating the alleged police torture on Bikash Chandra Das, a cleaning inspector of Dhaka South City Corporation, in Jatrabari area on January 15.