Judicial probe says Khilgaon cops exhibited extreme negligence, unjust attitude in accusing a person
Dhaka University student Abdul Kadar had been arrested and tortured in police custody on false allegations by a miscreant, said a judicial probe report submitted to the High Court yesterday.
Referring to a witness’ deposition, it also said the officer-in-charge of Khilgaon Police Station was apparently unsound and intoxicated when he injured Kadar’s left thigh with a cleaver.
Khilgaon police on suspicion picked up Kadar, a student of biochemistry and molecular biology, on July 16 around 1:30am as he was walking back to his dormitory from a relative’s house. He was later implicated in three cases, including one in connection with possession of illegal arms.
The cases against Kadar were filed erratically, without any enquiry or taking his statement, the judicial probe report said, adding that police exhibited extreme negligence and an unjust attitude in accusing a person on this particular occasion.
Deputy Attorney General ABM Altaf Hossain placed the probe report before the HC, which will pass an order on the issue on December 4.
The bench of Justice AHM Shamsuddin Manik and Justice Jahangir Hossain yesterday also directed the inspector general of police to submit a departmental probe report to it by this period.
On July 28, the bench in a suo moto rule directed the law secretary and the IGP to conduct separate investigations into the incident.
Ashish Ranjan Das, secretary (in-charge) to the law ministry, who conducted the judicial investigation, submitted his report to the attorney general’s office on November 27 for placing it before the HC.
He recommended termination of the services of Khilgaon OC Helal Uddin over the latter’s inflicting torture on Kadar in custody. He also suggested some remedies to prevent repetition of such incidents. The suggestions include strict directives from police high-ups to personnel about focusing on primary evidence before accusing a person, not to torture a suspect and so uphold the country’s law and court directives, making sure that a case is framed based on facts and that the accused was really involved in the allegations brought against him.
On November 3, a Dhaka court acquitted Kadar of the arms case. The two other cases filed against him were on robbery and carjacking. However, a departmental probe later found Kadar innocent.
He was released on bail on August 3. OC Helal Uddin, Sub-inspector Alam Badsha, and Assistant Sub-inspector Shahidur Rahman were closed on July 29 in line with the HC suo moto order of July 28.
Abdul Jalil, additional commissioner (admin and finance) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, who heads the investigation team formed by the IGP on August 27, told The Daily Star that the team had completed its probe and was now preparing the report.
-With The Daily Star input
