JCD Leader’s Death: Court scraps case against 15 cops hrs after filing

A Dhaka court yesterday dismissed a case, hours after it was filed against 15 police officials, including a former DMP chief, over the "custodial death" of Chhatra Dal leader Nuruzzaman Jonny in January 2015.

Tapash Kumar Pal, additional metropolitan public prosecutor, said finding no sufficient grounds for taking cognizance of the charges brought against them, Judge Md Asaduzzaman of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court passed the order.

Md Asaduzzaman Miah, former Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner, and Krishna Pada Roy, then deputy commissioner of Detective Branch of police and now commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police, are among the accused.

Jonny, then general secretary of Khilgaon thana JCD, a pro-BNP student body, was killed in a "gunfight" in Khilgaon area on January 20, 2015, a day after his arrest in an arson case.

Eight years after the incident, victim's father Md Yakub Ali yesterday lodged the case with the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court under section 15(2) of the Torture and Custodial Death (Prohibition) Act, 2013.

In the complaint, Yakub said his son Jonny was picked up from in front of Dhaka Central Jail on January 19, 2015, after he went there to visit his younger brother Moniruzzaman Hira who was arrested in another case.

The following day, he was killed in a "crossfire" involving DB men, Yakub alleged.

During yesterday's hearing, PP Tapash told the court that the complainant filed the case eight years after the incident just to "achieve political gains".