Murder Accused Dies in ‘Police Custody’ in Bagerhat

An accused in a murder case died reportedly under the custody of Bagerhat Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) on Monday.

The deceased was identified as Raja Fakir, 20, son of Babu Fakir, a resident of Khanjahan Ali Dighir Par area of Sadar Upazila.

KM Humayun Kabir, a civil surgeon from Bagerhat, said that PBI members took Raja to the hospital about 1:20 p.m., claiming he fell ill.

Later on, doctors pronounced him dead.

According to PBI source, Raja was arrested on Sunday night by a PBI team from his relative's house in Patuakhali and later taken to Bagerhat.

Raja was charged in a case filed in the Upazila over the killing of a teenage boy on October 18, 2019, said Jahidul Islam, Bagerhat PBI superintendent.

He said that during the inquiry, Raja fell ill and was later taken to the hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead.

The family members believed, however, that Raja was tortured to death.