Torture, False Case
OC Helal in jail, finally
Md Helal Uddin, former officer-in-charge of Khilgaon Police Station, landed up in jail yesterday for torturing Dhaka University student Abdul Kadar in custody and falsely implicating the youth in several crimes.
Metropolitan Magistrate Mohammad Mizanur Rahman sent Helal to prison on the latter’s surrender in a case Kadar filed with the police station on January 23.
The High Court on February 2 granted Helal bail for two months after he surrendered before the court and sought an anticipatory bail.
The HC also ordered the accused to surrender to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Dhaka on expiry of the bail term.
Yesterday, the metropolitan magistrate rejected the bail petition of Helal Uddin, who was suspended on July 29 along with sub-inspector Alam Badsha and assistant sub-inspector Shahidur Rahman following the media outcry.
Talking to The Daily Star, Kadar said he was very pleased as Helal Uddin ended up in jail.
The student of DU biochemistry and molecular biology department filed the case in line with recommendations of a law ministry probe committee and a HC order.
In the case statement, the complainant said some plainclothes policemen hit him with sticks at Segunbagicha in the capital early July 16 last year while he was returning to his dormitory from a relative’s house at Eskaton.
“When I asked about the reason of beating me and introduced myself as a DU student, they became more furious and took me to Khilgaon Police Station,” the statement read.
“Later, OC Helal Uddin took me to his office room and forced me to admit to various crimes I had never committed. The OC also struck me on the back, leg and other parts of my body. At one stage, he made a gash in my left leg with a machete.”
Police then lodged two separate cases against Kadar — one for robbery and another for possessing an illegal firearm — with the police station and also showed him arrested in another case filed with Mohammadpur Police Station for carjacking.
After the incident, Kadar sought help from the higher court, which directed the government and police high-ups to launch special investigations into the matter.
He was released on bail on August 3 and acquitted of carjacking, robbery and possessing illegal firearm on different dates.
Meanwhile, another Dhaka court on March 14 convicted a police officer for falsely implicating Abdul Kadar on instructions of Helal.
Second Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Zafar Md Kamruzzaman fined police officer Alam Badsha Tk 1,000, in default of which he will have to serve 30 days’ imprisonment.
-With The Daily Star input
