An alleged drug dealer died in police custody early yesterday in Rajshahi Boalia Metropolitan police station.
Family members of the arrestee, Ruhul Amin, claimed that he was killed by the police as they refused to pay the bribe for his release the police had demanded. However, police claimed Ruhul had committed suicide.
According to witnesses, Ruhul was arrested by a team of Boalia police around 5:30pm on Friday from Vadra rail-crossing area of the city.
He was beaten on the spot by the police and later taken to the police station.
When asked about the arrest, police said he was a local drug dealer and 250 grams of marijuana (ganja) was found in his possession.
Around 12:30am yesterday, police informed reporters that an arrestee had committed suicide in custody by strangulating himself with a yarn of a blanket. But no blanket was found in the cell when the police station was visited.
Family members of Ruhul claimed that the police had demanded Tk10,000 from them for his release. Rafikul Islam said his brother was killed because they had refused to pay the amount. He claimed that his brother had protested drug vending in the locality and for that reason Ruhul developed bitter relations with local drug vendors.
Rafikul said the vendors had paid the police to kill his brother.
The allegations brought by the family were however denied by police. Officer-in-Charge Sayedur Rahman of Boalia police station claimed the arrestee had killed himself.
Meanwhile the family members submitted a complaint to the commissioner of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police, demanding punishment of the officers who were involved with the alleged murder.
RMP Commissioner Mahbubur Rahman said: “A three-member probe body has been formed to investigate the matter and would be headed by Deputy Commissioner Proloy Chichim.”
Proloy Chichim said a probe report would be submitted within seven days. The body was sent to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital morgue for post mortem examination.
