Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Wednesday ordered the Cabinet Secretary to form a high-powered committee headed by a District and Sessions Judge to probe into the death of Sultana Jasmine of Naogaon, who died in Rab custody on March 24 this year.
The committee that will also include the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Naogaon has been asked to complete their probe within 60 days after receiving the HC order.
The High Court asked the authorities concerned to transfer the Rab officials who were involved in picking up, interrogation and hospitalizing of Sultana Jesmine from Naogaon during the investigation period for the sake of transparency and neutrality in the investigation.
The High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Muhammad Mahbub Ul Islam passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed seeking HC directives to form a high powered body to probe into the death of Sultana Jasmine.
Lawyer Manoj Kumar Bhowmick, who also recently filed the writ petition, appeared in the court hearing in support of his petition, while Attorney General AM Amin Uddin represented the state.
The High Court bench also issued a rule upon the concerned bodies of the government to explain as to why the inappropriate action of the Rab officials while picking up, interrogation and hospitalizing of Sultana Jesmine on the basis of someone’s complaint and without a case shall not be declared illegal and unconstitutinal.
It also wanted to know in the rule as to why the respondents should not be directed to take appropriate legal action against the responsible Rab officials who committed wrong while picking up, interrogation and hospitalizing of Sultana Jesmine.
An employee of a Naogaon union parishad land office who stood accused in a case under the Digital Security Act (DSA) died in the custody of Rab-5 after suffering hemorrhages of the brain. Rab officers told doctors Sultana Jasmine, 38, suffered a fall.
Her son Shahed Hossain Saikat, a student of Chattogram University, said, “She died due to torture in Rab custody. She has a mark of injury on her head.” Family members also claimed she was in perfect health.
Rab picked up Sultana around 10:00am on March 22 when she was on her way to Chandipur Union Land Office where she was an office assistant, law enforcers said.
She died at 10:00am on March 24 at the Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH). A day after her detention, she was sued under DSA in Rajshahi “for syphoning off money from job seekers using a Facebook account”.
SC lawyer Manoj Kumar Bhowmick brought the issue to the attention of the High Court bench. Later the HC bench asked the lawyer to file a writ petition. Accordingly he filed a writ on March 28.
During the hearing on March 28, the High Court wanted to know from the authorities concerned whether Rab can arrest someone on the basis of someone’s complaint without a case. At the same time, it also wanted to know whether Rab has the jurisdiction to arrest anyone in the case of Digital Security Act.
Meanwhile, an inquest report submitted in the court said an injury was found on the backside of Sultana Jasmine’s head. However, the autopsy report sent from Naogaon General Hospital mentioned that the victim was suffering from high blood pressure. She died due to brain hemorrhages and was not tortured.
HC asks to form high-powered probe body
