HC asks govt to complete probe in two-month

Staff Reporter  :
The High Court on Tuesday directed the government-formed committee to complete in two months the probe into the death of Naogaon land office employee Sultana Jasmine in Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) custody.
The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice

Muhammad Mahbub Ul Islam passed the order after hearing a petition moved by Deputy Attorney General Samarendranath Biswas on behalf of the state, seeking time to complete the probe.
The court said, ‘It is a sensitive matter. We cannot grant you time repeatedly. You have to complete the probe in two months.’
Earlier on April 5, the court ordered the Cabinet Secretary to form a high-powered committee headed by a District and Sessions Judge to probe the death of Sultana Jasmine of Naogaon, who died in RAB custody on March 24 this year.

The court said the committee will also include the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Naogaon and it was asked to complete their probe within 60 days after receiving the HC order.
The High Court also 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.
It also issued a rule asking the authorities to explain why RAB’s picking up Sultana Jasmine, interrogation and subsequent hospitalisation based on simply someone’s complaint without a case shall not be declared illegal and unconstitutional.

RAB Joypurhat camp arrested Sultana Jasmine from Naogaon on March 22 based on the verbal complaint of Enamul Haque, a joint secretary who works at the Rajshahi divisional commissioner’s office.
RAB claimed the elite force carried out the operation in presence of Enamul. Enamul alleged that Jasmine and one Al-Amin had been duping unemployed people by promising them jobs by opening a fake social media ID in his name.
After the arrest, Jasmine fell ill and was first taken to Naogaon Hospital and later to Rajshahi. She died on the morning of March 24 while undergoing treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.
The family alleged that Jasmin died due to torture in RAB custody.

After Sultana Jasmine’s death, it was learnt that a case was filed against her by Enamul Haque under the Digital Security Act (DSA) on March 23 afternoon.
Supreme Court lawyer Manoj Kumar Bhowmick brought the issue to HC’s attention and filed a writ petition subsequently on March 28.
On April 5, an inquest report was submitted to the court which said there was an injury mark on the back of Jasmine’s head. However, a previous medical report mentioned that Jasmine was suffering from high blood pressure and she died due to brain haemorrhages.