Death in police custody: Body exhumed for fresh autopsy

The body of Rayhan Ahmed, who was killed reportedly being tortured by police in Sylhet, was exhumed from his grave on Thursday morning.

Later, the body was taken to the morgue of Sylhet Osmani Medical College Hospital for re-autopsy.

The exhumation of the body from the Akhalia Nawabi Mosque graveyard in the presence of executive magistrates Sajib Ahmed and Mezbah Uddin completed around 11 am.

A team of Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) was present there, PBI Sylhet District Superintendent of Police Khalequzzaman.

The autopsy will be done after the formation of the medical board at the hospital, he said adding police are working to arrest unnamed accused in the murder case.

Besides, legal action will be taken against those whose involvement will be found in PBI probe, said the official.

The district administration allowed to exhume Rayhan’s body following an appeal by Kotwali police sub-inspector (SI) Abdul Baten, the investigation officer on the case filed in connection with the death.

The PBI is currently investigating the case on the instructions of the police headquarters. The SMP handed over the documents of the case to the PBI on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, as part of the investigation, a PBI team went to Rayhan’s house on Wednesday night. They spoke to Rayhan’s family members, according to sources of PBI.

Rayhan Ahmed, 34, a resident of Akharia in Sylhet city, was beaten to death in police custody on Sunday, his family said.

His wife Tahmina Akter Tanni filed the case at Kotwali Police Station early Monday accusing a number of unidentified people.

Police rejected the allegation and said Rayhan was caught by locals of Kastghar area during robbery and was lynched.

The authorities on Monday suspended four policemen, including the in-charge of Bandarbazar Police outpost, over the incident.

source: UNB