Uttarkhan landlord dies, brother alleges police beating killed him

Allegation was raised against some police personnel of beating a man to death in the city's Uttarkhan area this morning.

The victim was identified as Moniruzzaman Hawlader, 50, a house owner in the area.

Police, however, denied the allegation and said the man died of stroke when they went to his house upon receiving a complaint.

Victim's younger brother Milon Hawlader alleged that his brother owned a four-storey building where wedding ceremony of a tenant's son to a neighbour's daughter was happening on Friday afternoon.

But a youth named Sohel from Mymensingh arrived there and claimed that he was in a relationship with the girl for about five years. He wanted to marry the girl.

Moniruzzaman then talked to the bride's family who agreed to marry the girl off to Sohel following altercation.

As the groom's family demanded compensation for arranging the wedding programme, Sohel and his sister -- who later came along with her husband from Narayanganj -- agreed to pay Tk 1 lakh, Milon said.

Sohel along with his family members stayed at Moniruzzaman's house on Friday night as he was supposed to marry the girl today after paying the money, Milon claimed.

At around 5:30am, a team of police arrived and took Moniruzzaman to the rooftop. "The policemen beat him up locking the door to the rooftop, leaving him critically injured," Milon alleged.

Moniruzzaman was rushed to a local hospital where doctors declared him dead. The body was sent to Dhaka Medical College morgue for autopsy this afternoon.

Contacted, Helal Uddin, officer-in-charge of Uttarkhan Police Station said they went to the house upon receiving a complaint that some people were held hostage there.

Seeing police in his house, Moniruzzaman climbed to the rooftop where he fell sick.

He claimed that police did not beat him up and there were no marks of injuries on his body.

"He might have died of stroke. Autopsy will determine the cause of his death," he said.

Police detained three persons including the groom's brother Raihan, his cousin Rashidul and their friend Rajib.