An inspector of the Dhaka South City Corporation was beaten up severely by some patrol police members in plain clothes in the capital’s Dholairpar area early yesterday.
Bikash Chandra Das, 40, fell unconsciousness due to torture, and was admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital with the help of senior police officers including the OC of Jatrabari police, Aboni Shankar Kor.
Aboni yesterday said the incident had taken place due to a misunderstanding.
“Beating up someone without receiving minimum information about him cannot be accepted,” he told the Dhaka Tribune. “We formed the plainclothes team to stop mugging in the area.”
The incident drew huge criticisms as a sub-inspector of Mohammadpur police, Md Masud Sikder, caught and tortured Bangladesh Bank official Golam Rabbani on January 9. Masud, who also threatened Rabbani with death if he failed to pay him Tk5 lakh, was withdrawn after primary investigation.
Police chief AKM Shahidul Haque at a programme yesterday said they would take stern action against the police personnel responsible for such heinous activities.
Meanwhile, a two-member probe committee, led by Additional Deputy Commissioner Mainul Haque, was formed to look into the allegations of torture on Bikash.
The Police Headquarters formed another three-member committee, led by Additional DIG Harun-or-Rashid, to investigate the allegations of torture on Rabbani and Bikash, and submit a report by seven working days.
Eyewitnesses said four policemen had signalled Bikash to stop his motorcycle in front of Nabi Hossain building in Dholairpar area while he was on his way to work around 5am.
“As the policemen were in plain clothes, Bikash did not stop considering them as muggers. Sub-Inspector Arshad Hossain Akash then hit Bikash on the neck from behind. Akash and three other police members then started beating him mercilessly,” the witness told the Dhaka Tribune requesting anonymity.
One of the witnesses informed Bikash’s family about the matter. As soon as his wife reached the spot, she saw the police members taking her unconscious husband on a van.
Later she along with the OC and other police members, and two witnesses took Bikash to the hospital. The OC said departmental action would be taken against those responsible after investigation.
Bikash’s younger brother Sujit Chandra Das said that there were several marks of injuries on the body of the victim. Bikash was admitted to the ICU at Labaid Hospital around 4pm. He did not gain consciousness until filing of this report at 12:30am.