The High Court on Monday upheld life imprisonment of Zahidur Rahman, former sub-inspector (SI) of Pallabi police station in Dhaka, in a case filed over custodial death of Ishtiaque Hossain Jonny, a garment-waste trader from the city's Mirpur area. The case was filed 11 years ago.
It also commuted the sentence of former assistant sub-inspector (ASI) of Pallabi Police Station, Rashedul Hasan, who was also sentenced to life imprisonment by the trial court, to 10 years in prison.
Apart from this, the HC acquitted police informer Russell who was sentenced to seven years in jail by the trial court.
The HC bench of Justice SM Kuddus Zaman and Justice AKM Rabiul Hassan delivered the verdict after holding hearing on the appeals filed by the accused against the trial court judgement in the case.
This is the first time the HC delivered a judgement in a case filed under the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act, 2013.
Earlier on September 9, 2020, a Dhaka court sentenced former SI Zahidur and former ASIs Md Qamruzzaman Mintu and Rashedul to life imprisonment and sentenced police informers Sumon and Russell to seven years in jail in the case.
Life imprisonment of ASI Mintu will remain in force as he is absconding and did not file any appeal. Apart from this, police informer Sumon has already served the jail term handed down by the trial court.
The remaining three accused filed separate appeals against the trial court verdict with the High Court in 2020.
According to the case statement, on February 8, 2014, police informers Sumon and Russell called the law enforcers after Jonny slapped Sumon for stalking and harassing women at a wedding ceremony in Pallabi's Irani camp area.
Afterwards, a group of 25 to 26 police officers, including former SI Zahidur, raided a house on that day and picked up Jonny and his brother Imtiaz Hossain Rocky and tortured the brothers at the police station.
The next day, Jonny fell sick, then, he was admitted to a local clinic. Later, he was transferred to Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared him dead.
Rocky filed the murder case with the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court in Dhaka on August 8, 2014.
In reactions, after the HC verdict, Rocky, his mother Khurshida Begum, and two children of Jonny said that they are suffering from insecurity and are being threatened from different corners.
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