“The night he died, I was asked to visit the hospital. When I went there, I saw my child’s dead body,” Zakir, the devastated father of the victim, said. “He was killed by the police,” he said.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Mystery shrouds this week’s death of a Muslim man in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district.
Rakib Sheikh, 36, was arrested on Friday and died on Tuesday night in Murshidabad Medical College. Initially, he was admitted to Jangipur Hospital on Sunday where he was reportedly diagnosed with internal injuries.
Media reports quoted Rakib’s father, Zakir Sheikh, as saying that the police “barged into their home” and took his son away “without any explanation.”
“Rakib was ill and resting at home when the police came to arrest him. His mother pleaded with the police to leave him alone, but all her pleas fell on deaf ears… The police said they would release him in a few hours, but they tortured him instead.”
Zakir added that the police did not show any complaint papers or explain any charges brought against Rakib during the raid at his home on Friday.
Reports said Rakib was arrested by two police officers who the father claims may have “beaten him mercilessly.”
According to Zakir, when Rakib was presented in the court later on Friday, he “looked very sick.” Rakib was sent to jail, where his condition deteriorated further, the father said.
The devastated father remains convinced that Rakib’s death was a result of beatings he endured whilst in police custody.
“The night he died, I was asked to visit the hospital. When I went there, I saw my child’s dead body,” Zakir said. “He was killed by the police. This was confirmed at Jangipur where it was stated that my son was killed.”
However, police authorities have refuted the allegations and asserted that Rakib was known to be involved in various illicit drug activities.
They additionally claimed that Rakib was arrested as part of a crackdown on drug peddlers and that he had a history of criminal cases against him.
According to the police, Rakib died of natural causes after he experienced chest pain and was taken to the hospital, media reports said.
The police stated that a post-mortem examination was ordered to confirm the exact cause of death and that any misconduct would be dealt with accordingly.
