Tea Seller’s Death Second probe body finds cops guilty, too

Tea Seller’s Death

Another probe body formed by police to look into the death of Mirpur tea-seller has found four suspended policemen guilty, reports news agency UNB.

The committee also observed that there was lack of proper supervision by the then officer-in-charge of Shah Ali police station Shahin Mollah in connection with the incident.

Earlier on 7 February, a probe panel, formed by Dhaka Metropolitan Police, found four suspended policemen guilty, too.

On 4 February, Babul Mattabbar, 45, a tea seller of Gudaraghat in the city’s Mirpur area caught fire from his kerosene stove as it was hit by the policemen of Shah Ali police station.

The following day, the tea seller succumbed to his burn injuries at Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) after struggling for life for hours with almost 95 percent burn injuries in his body.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) formed a single member committee while deputy commissioner (Mirpur division) constituted another two-man panel to probe the incident.

Deputy commissioner (media) of DMP M Maruf Hossain told UNB on Tuesday that the probe body formed by the DC, headed by additional deputy commissioner (Mirpur division) Masud Ahmed, has already submitted its report to the DC.

Sources at the DMP said the committee found negligence of duty of sub-inspectors Mominur Rahman and Niazuddin Mollah, assistant sub-inspector Devnath and constable Jasimnuddin.

Besides, the committee found lack of proper supervision on the part of the then OC Shah Ali police station Shahin Mollah.

OC Shahin Mollah was withdrawn from the police station on Friday last. On the same day, the accused policemen were also suspended.

Meanwhile, the probe panel, formed by the DMP, found four suspended policemen guilty and Shahin Mollah’s negligence of duty in connection with the incident.

Source: Prothom Alo