How can RAB arrest someone without filing a case: HC
29 March 2023
Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Tuesday 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.
The High Court bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Ahmed Sohel 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 of Naogaon, who died in Rab custody on March 24 this year.
Besides, the court also wanted to know whether Sultana Jasmine was interrogated in a respectable place (police station or office) after her arrest and whether the RAB's conduct during the time until she was taken to the hospital was lawful or not.
The court has also asked the authorities to inform the court about the cause of death of Sultana Jasmine in the final autopsy report.
The court has fixed April 5 as the next hearing date, and the concerned state lawyer has been asked to submit the information on these issues and the final autopsy report of Sultana Jasmine by this time.
Meanwhile, the autopsy report of Sultana Jasmine sent from Naogaon General Hospital was submitted in the High Court. It was mentioned that the victim, Sultana Jasmine, was suffering from high blood pressure. She died due to brain hemorrhages and was not tortured.
SC lawyer Manoj Kumar Bhowmik 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 Tuesday.
At the same time, the HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Ahmed Sohel asked Assistant Attorney General (AAG) Abul Kalam Khan Daud to produce relevant papers before this court by Tuesday.
An employee of a Naogaon union parishad land office who stood accused in a case under the Digital Security Act 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 had a mark of injury on her head." Family members said 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 Friday (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".
