Death in RAB custody: HC wants autopsy report, list of those who grilled Jasmine

The High Court has sought the autopsy report and a list of the members of Rapid Action Battalion who arrested and interrogated Sultana Jasmine of Naogaon, who died in RAB custody on 24 March.

Human rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK) today called for justice and a fair investigation into the death of Jasmine, an employee of a Naogaon union parishad land office.

Doctors at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital said Jasmine had an injury on the right side of her head when she was admitted to hospital and the CT scan report revealed there was bleeding in the brain, the ASK statement reads. The deceased's relatives suspect that she died due to torture in RAB custody.

On Monday, the bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Ahmed Sohel asked the authorities concerned to submit relevant documents to the court on Tuesday, after lawyer Monoz Kumar brought media reports regarding Jasmine's death in RAB custody to the court's notice.

The High Court told Assistant Attorney General Abul Kalam Khan Daud, "We will look at the inquest and the postmortem reports of the victim, so bring those tomorrow. Also, bring the names and identities of all the officers who took the woman into custody and interrogated her. We want to see if there was any violation of law in this incident."

The court fixed Tuesday for the next hearing regarding the matter.

It also asked the assistant attorney general whether any case has been filed in connection with the death.

When he replied that no case had been filed so far, the court expressed dissatisfaction regarding the matter.

Lt Col Riyaz Shahriar, commanding officer of RAB-5, on Monday told TBS that they arrested Jasmine over a Digital Security Act case.

He said, "We detained her around 11:30am on Wednesday. As we do not have any camp in Naogaon, she was supposed to be taken to the Joypurhat RAB office. From detention to getting sick, she was in RAB custody for around one and a half hours and all the way she was on a RAB vehicle, so there was no way of torturing her.

"We detained her over serious allegations. We got information that she had illegal transactions and a hefty amount of money in her accounts. As part of the interrogation on the RAB vehicle we asked for her mobile phone. At first, she refused, but after a while she gave it to the RAB officials."

Lt Col Riyaz said, "At one point of searching, we found several screenshots of her illegal money transactions. When we asked about these transactions she got tense and started vomiting in the car. She was taken to a Naogaon hospital immediately and her relatives were called. Doctors primarily suspected cardiac arrest.

"During preparing the inquest report, the executive magistrate and the eyewitnesses did not find any injury mark or external wounds on her body."

"We were aware that she is a government employee and a woman. Why would we torture her? More importantly, how could anyone be tortured while being in a car," he added.    

Quoting relatives of the deceased, the RAB commanding officer also claimed Jasmine was having some serious medical issues but she was not on medication.

ASK blames culture of impunity

In its statement issued Monday over the death of Jasmine, the Ain o Salish Kendra said, "The family's complaint, doctors' statement and media reports clearly show there was a violation of the Constitution, existing laws and due process in Sultana's detention."

The organisation also demanded a trial of the incident.

"This is not the first time such allegations have been made, as law and order forces are often accused of torture while holding people in custody. Such incidents are recurring due to not dealing with complaints seriously or taking necessary legal action against the responsible persons," the statement reads.

"It is necessary to investigate this complaint impartially and take legal action and ensure justice for Sultana Jasmine," it added.

RAB did not inform the local police about Jasmine's arrest, according to media reports. It was later found a case was filed against her under the Digital Security Act the day after RAB took her in custody.

The ASK expressed deep concern over the incident and said the allegations made by Jasmine's family were very serious.

Jasmine's family suspects foul play

Jasmine's relatives said she had left home for office on Wednesday morning. When she reached in front of Naojawan field in the city, RAB-5 Joypurhat camp members detained her. About two hours later, the RAB admitted Jasmine to Naogaon General Hospital as she fell ill. As her condition worsened in the evening, she was transferred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, where she died on Friday morning while undergoing treatment.

Jasmine's uncle Nazmul Haque Montu, former councillor of Naogaon Municipality, said it was not immediately known where the RAB took his niece after arresting her on Wednesday morning. At noon, the RAB called her son Saikat from her cell phone and asked him to come to the hospital. When her relatives went there around 2 pm, they found that she was not able to speak at that time.

Nazmul Haque alleged that Jasmin died on Friday but her autopsy was conducted on that day. The RAB handed over the body to them after conducting an autopsy on the next day.

"The RAB members were around us, openly and secretly, until Jasmine's body was buried. We were not even allowed to go near her body when it arrived. They arrested her in the morning and took her to hospital at noon, so we suspect that she might have been tortured during this period," he said.

Jasmine's son Shahed Hossain Saikat, a student of Chittagong University, told the media, "My mother has been a victim of a conspiracy. She died due to torture in RAB custody."

Dr Zahid Nazrul Chowdhury, supervisor of Naogaon General Hospital, said there was no sign of injury on Jasmine's body when she was admitted. However, she was suffering from heart disease.

Brigadier General FM Shamim Ahmed, director of RMCH, told reporters that according to RAB officials, Jasmin fell and suffered a head injury. She was unconscious when the RAB admitted her to the hospital. Later, she was kept in the ICU. A CT scan at that time showed massive bleeding on her brain.

"She died of excessive bleeding in the brain. She had a small red spot on her head. No other injury marks were found on the body," he added.

Officer-in-Charge of Rajpara Police Station Siddiqur Rahman said Jasmin had been deceiving people on Facebook for a long time by using the picture of Md Enamul Haque, director of Local Government, Rajshahi division. Enamul filed a case at the police station regarding the matter and the RAB Jasmine during a shadow investigation.