CID to probe custody death 'conspiracy'

KOLKATA: Calcutta high court is not content with the CID inquiry report on the alleged custodial death of Trinamool Congress-turned-Congress activist Kazi Nasiruddin at Dhaniakhali police station on January 18. It wants the state agency to also look into the conspiracy complaint made in a PIL and submit an updated report within 15 days.
State advocate general Bimal Chatterjee on Wednesday tried to impress upon the court that the PIL - which seeks a CBI inquiry - was "politically motivated" and should not be entertained.Chatterjee pointed out that petitioner Pratim Singha Roy is a lawyer and Hooghly Congress leader.
The division bench of Chief Justice Arun Misra and Justice Joymalya Bagchi didn't pay heed to the state advocate general. The Chief Justice said that the court will take up the CID report first and then consider the merit of the PIL. However, the state refused to share the contents of the CID report with the petitioner's lawyers Bikash Bhattacharya and Rabisankar Chatterjee. Government pleader Asoke Banerjee said the CID report is for the court and not for others.
Nasiruddin, a Dhaniakhali businessman, was arrested on the evening of January 20, allegedly for being drunk in public. He was last seen by an aide around 11.30pm, "naked outside Dhaniakhali police station, being hauled into a van". He was pronounced dead in hospital. Locals allege he died because of custodial torture.
The CID arrested three policemen -constables Amit De and Sanat Karmakar and ASI Somnath Chattopadhyay - in connection with the death. Amit is named in the police complaint filed by Nasiruddin's widow Manuja Biwi.
Sabed Ali, a witness, told CID that though he was with Nasiruddin earlier that day, he wasn't present when Nasiruddin was taken to the police station. He says he called up police when he didn't hear from Nasiruddin for a long time and was told that the businessman "would not walk out before two-and-a-half months". Sabed alleged that when he had called up local Trinamool MLA Ashima Patra, she didn't take his call. He then called Dhaniakhali OC Barun Ghosh, who asked him to come to the police station.
When he stepped into the police station, Nasiruddin wasn't in the lock-up, Sabed told CID. He was lying on the ground, stripped naked and barely moving. The OC reportedly told him that Nasiruddin was unconscious and had to be taken to a hospital. Sabed says police used his vehicle to take Nasiruddin to hospital, where he was declared 'brought dead'. The CID has submitted statements from 15 witnesses in its report to the court. Sabed is witness No 2.