6 indicted over death of Raihan in custody

A Sylhet court on Thursday accepted the charge sheet filed by police against six people, including suspended sub-inspector Akbar Hossain Bhuiya, in the Raihan Ahmed custodial death case.

Five of the six accused, including Akbar, were produced before Sylhet additional chief metropolitan magistrate Abul Momen this morning.

The court also issued an arrest warrant against the absconding sixth accused -- Abdullah Al Noman, who had allegedly helped Akbar flee the country, said Sylhet Metropolitan Police inspector Pradeep Chandra Das.

The other four accused in the case are sub-inspector Hasan Ali, assistant sub-inspector Ahshque Elahi, and constables Harunur Rashid and Titu Chandra Das of the Bandarbazar police outpost. All the accused policemen are currently in judicial custody.

On May 5, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) submitted the charge sheet in the case. According to the charge sheet, Akbar, constables Harunur Rashid and Titu, and ASI Asheque were directly responsible for Raihan’s custodial death. On October 11 last year, the 34-resident of Akharia in Sylhet city, was allegedly beaten to death in police custody.

His wife Tahmina Akter Tanni filed a complaint at the Kotwali police station the following day, following which an FIR was registered against unidentified people.

Four policemen, including then in charge of the Bandarbazar police outpost Akbar, were suspended on October 12. The three other policemen were also withdrawn from the outpost the same day. Later, the case was transferred to the PBI.

Meanwhile, the Sylhet Metropolitan Police (SMP) had formed a committee to probe the custodial death of Raihan. A primary probe by the committee found evidence against the accused cops.

The victim’s autopsy report revealed over 100 injury marks on his body and two of his nails were also pulled out.

On October 22, then SMP Commissioner Golam Kibria was transferred over widespread criticism of the role of police in Raihan’s death.

On November 29, Dr Shamsul Islam, the chief of the Forensic Department of Osmani Medical College Hospital, said that Raihan died due to severe injuries “as per the viscera report”.

On November 18, 2020, a court remanded Akbar in judicial custody in connection with Raihan’s death. He was arrested from the Dona frontier area of Kanaighat on November 10.