Inhuman torture in custody

A woman has brought an allegation against a police officer in Cox's Bazar of torturing her in custody for refusing to give him bribe.  

The complainant, Jibon Ara filed a case against Sub-inspector Manosh Barua of Cox's Bazar Police Station.

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Additional Police Super of Cox's Bazar Afruzul Haq Tutul has been assigned to investigate the matter.

He said Jibon Ara was requested to show up at the office of the Police Super today to present what she had as evidence in support of her claim.

“Necessary departmental and legal actions will be taken against the accused sub-inspector if the allegations are proved,” Afruzul Haq said.

He gave an assurance that the investigation would be impartial.

SI Manosh said Jibon Ara and her husband had been arrested at their residence at Arif Market along with two others during a police drive on March 2 for possessing 6,000 pieces of yaba tablets.

The allegation of possessing yaba pills was, however, rejected by Jibon Ara.

She said police had staged a drama after receiving illegal benefits from others.

SI Manosh said he had taken Jobon Ara, the number one accused in the yaba tablet recovery case, on remand for a day with permission from court. She was grilled on the case. 

The SI denied torturing Jibon Ara and demanding bribe from her.

The woman, now on bail, said at a press conference on Monday that she had been tortured physically by SI Manosh.

“As I refused to give bribe to the sub-inspector, he became angry and then he gave me electric shocks. I passed out at the time.”

Jibon Ara added that the Cox's Bazar District and Sessions Judge's Court granted her bail on March 23 following submission of a report by Judicial Magistrate Tamanna on the torture by SI Manosh.

Later, she received treatment in Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital.

She was shifted from there to Chittagong Medical College Hospital's One-Stop Crisis Centre where she was found to have injuries to her chest and genital due to electric shocks, according to a medical report.

On Wednesday, Jibon Ara filed two cases with the Cox's Bazar District and Sessions Judge's Court -- one for torturing her and seeking bribe and another under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.

Judge Mir Shafiqul Alam yesterday ordered the Anti-Corruption Commission to submit a probe report on the bribery issue.

The hearing on charges brought under the repression prevention act was not held, Jibon Ara's counsel said.