Mystery surrounds man’s death in police custody

A man arrested in a narcotics case with Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Paltan model police station died in police custody on Tuesday night.

The deceased was identified as Masud Rana, 33.

His family claims that the victim was beaten up brutally at the police station and later he succumbed to injuries.

However, a police official from the Motijheel Division said they examined all the video footage after the arrestee had been taken to the police station and saw that Masud hit his forehead on the lockup wall twice after being taken to the police station. 

"The inquest report did not mention any sign of torture or assault on the deceased's body. However, we are waiting for the autopsy report," said Enamul Haque, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of DMP's Motijheel Division.

"Once we get the report, we will know the actual cause of his death," said ADC Enamul Haque.

There is also a mismatch between the statements from the police and the victim's family regarding the place from where Maud Rana was arrested.

"Masud along with his friend Momin, 36, was detained with 200 pieces of yaba pills from the Gulistan Stadium area on Tuesday afternoon," said ADC Enamul Haque.

However, Masud's father-in-law Abdul Mannan claimed Masud was picked up by police from in front of Sinha Textiles at the Kanchpur area in Sonargaon upazila of Narayanganj.

"We later heard that he was in Paltan police station. I even spoke to one of the policemen from the station but they did not allow me to talk to Masud. Then around 11:00pm we heard that he had fallen ill and was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH)," said Abdul Mannan.

ADC Enamul Haque said Masud fell ill during interrogation at the police station on Tuesday night and was taken to the Rajarbagh Central Police Hospital.

"Then he was taken to DMCH at around 11:00pm, where doctors on duty declared him dead," ADC Enamul Haque said.

Meanwhile, DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media) Walid Hossain claimed that Masud had consumed yaba pills at the time of his detention.

He went berserk under the influence of the crazy pill after he was taken to the police station and suddenly collapsed on the ground and sustained head injuries around 10:30pm, said Walid Hossain. 

Masud's family claimed he worked at Faisal Steel Rerolling Mills in the Kanchpur area. He lived with his wife and two daughters in the same area.

His family alleged that it was a pre-planned murder by the police and demanded justice.

ADC Enamul Haque told The Business Standard that both Masud Rana and Momin were also accused in two different cases in Cumilla and Munshiganj respectively.

According to the police, Masud is from Manikganj.

Meanwhile, human rights body Ain O Shalish Kendra has demanded a judicial probe into the matter and also expressed grave concern over the death in police custody.