3 policemen plead not guilty in case over torture and custodial death of Jonny

Three suspended policemen pleaded not guilty before a Dhaka court today as it read out the charges in a case filed for the death of Ishtiaque Ahmed Jonny in police custody in 2014.

Judge KM Emrul Kayesh of Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court fixed February 17 to start arguments in the case, as the court recently concluded recording statements of 22 prosecution witnesses.

The three policemen are: Pallabi Police Station Sub-Inspector Zahidur Rahman Zahid and assistant sub-inspectors Qamruzzaman Mintu and Rashedul Islam.

Apart from the three, two police informants -- Sumon and Russell -- also pleaded not guilty during the trial proceedings today.

Of the five, Zahid and Sumon are now in jail, while the rest are out on bail.

According to the case statement, on February 8, 2014, Jonny, his brother Imtiaz Hassan Rocky and three others were detained at Irani camp in Pallabi by a police team led by SI Jahidur Rahman Khan.

Jonny, 28, was allegedly tortured to death in police custody on July 13 the same year.

On February 17, 2015, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Maruf Hossain conducted a judicial inquiry, found the involvement of Zahid and four others in the incident and submitted a judicial inquiry report to the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court of Dhaka.

The Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court on April 17, 2016 framed charges against Zahid and the four other accused.