On June 8, 2016 at around 2:30 pm, Sub-Inspector (SI) Biplob Hossain, In-charge of Upashahar Police Outpost, arrested Ainul Haque Rohit (16), a student of class X at Badsha Faisal Islami Institute, from his house. Ainul Haque Rohit is the son of Kamal Hossain and Juli Begum, residents of Sector- 1, Upashahar Union Parishad- 5 under Jessore Sadar Upazila. Rohit’s family alleged that Rohit was detained and tortured at Kotowali Police Station till June 9, 2016 and then released on a written bond after a taka 50,000 bribe was given to the police.
During fact finding it was found that on May 18, 2016 the motor-bike of a man called Nazim Ahmed had been stolen from House No. 158, Block- D, Sector- 1, Jessore Sadar Upazila. The incident was recorded on a close circuit camera (CCTV) set up at that building. On May 20, 2016 Nazim Ahmed filed a General Diary (GD) (GD no. 1078) with Jessore Kotwali Police Station in this regard. The investigation officer of that GD, SI Biplob Hossain watched the CCTV footage and on June 8, 2016 at around 2:30 pm, he arrested Rohit from his house and detained him in custody at Kotwali Police Station. In the evening after Iftar (breaking of fast during Ramadan), Rohit was taken to a room behind the room of the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Kotwali Police Station. There, he was blindfolded and beaten on his knee, ankle, elbow, and wrist with a wooden rod for about an hour. His hands and legs were then put on the table and the top of the fingers and toes were beaten. They also beat him on the soles of his feet. After that, they took off his vest stuffed it in his mouth and poured water up his nose for 10 minutes. After that he was detained in the custody. After 30 hours of detention, on June 9, 2016 at around 8:30 pm, police took a bribe of taka 50,000 from Rohit’s father Kamal Hossain and released Rohit on bond. Kamal Hossain alleged that police told Rohit and his family to come to the SP office on June 18 and on June 23, they were called to the house from where the motor-bike was stolen and were harassed there. Rohit’s mother, Juli Begum alleged that her son had a mental breakdown because of the torture by police. He had become very afraid to go outside. She could not send him to school because of the police harassment. Rohit and his family did not file any case against the police because of the fear of being harassed again.
The OC of Kotwali Police Station, Elias Hossain and SI Biplob denied the allegations made by Rohit and his family. They said that, as part of the investigation, Rohit was brought to police station as a suspect for questioning. After interrogation, Rohit was sent home and he was not tortured. Furthermore, Rohit’s family offered money to the complaint to mitigate the matter. No bribe was taken. The news about the torture on Rohit had been published in different media and the police headquarter had ordered an investigation into the alleged incident. On August 2, 2016, Security Cell Inspector (Khulna), Shahidul Islam, member of the investigation team went to Jessore Kotwali Police Station and interviewed SI Biplob Hossain, victim Rohit and his family members.
Ainul_jessore_tlea_police_08-06-2016 (full text in English, PDF)
Ainul_jessore_tlea_police_08-06-2016 (full text in Bangla, PDF)
