Man dies after he was detained for violating curfew norms; Wife alleges assault by Police, SP ensures probe

Tension broke in Silchar’s Rongpur area after a man died under mysterious circumstances while in the custody of the Police. Last night, during routine patrolling, officials of the Rongpur Police Patrol Post found a shop is open by the road in Karatigram. The officials, according to the statement given by Cachar SP Vaibhav Nimbalkar, detained the shopkeeper identified as Babul Banik for keeping it open by violating Covid norms.

He was escorted into the Police van and detained in the Police Post for “legal proceedings”. According to the Police, he complained he was sweating unusually and running short of breath. The officer in charge of the Police Post, according to Cachar SP, called the family members of Banik and informed them about the deteriorating health conditions. “As he complained about chest congestion, 51-year-old Babul Banik was rushed to the Civil Hospital. The doctors there referred him to Silchar Medical College and Hospital where the treating doctors declared him brought dead,” added SP Nimbalkar who rushed to the Rongpur Police Post.

Wife of Babul Banik, Jaba Banik, on the other hand, blamed the Police’s barbaric torture for the death of her husband. “We stay near our shop and at around 7:00 pm, because I ran short of sugar, he went to the shop to get some. As he opened the shop, it started raining, so he was waiting inside. That is when the Police officials came and started assaulting him. They dragged him to the van and then due to the assault, he died in the Police Station. They assaulted him in front of me,” the wife alleged.

She added, “If we have violated the COVID norms, they can penalise us with fines but why beat my husband to death. Is it such a big crime?”

Cachar SP, Vaibhav Nimbalkar backed his men in uniform. “Whatever we gathered prima facie, as well as from the eyewitnesses, Police did not assault anyone including Babul Banik,” the SP said. However, he added, “If there are allegations, I assure the matter will be probed and actions will be taken as per the law. There will be a magistrate inquiry, which is an independent process and the Police won’t be a part of the investigation. There will be videographic evidence of the postmortem and if the reports and the investigations suggest that Babul Banik died due to an assault by the Police, actions will be taken accordingly. Whatever the matter is, the truth will surface.

Around a hundred of agitating locals gathered at the Rongpur Police Post and had gheraoed the officials. Cachar SP, DSP and Additional SP rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. The Circle Officer of Udhabond Circle also rushed to the spot. The locals demanded an independent probe of the matter, compensation for the family, and video-graphic evidence of the postmortem and statements.

The ball now is on the executive magistrate’s court. The wife is saying that her husband was assaulted by Police in front of her eyes. However, according to SP, others who were detained for violating COVID norms, said that there was torture by Police.