Suspected thief dies after falling ill in custody of Tongi police

Police deny torture claims and say his body will be handed over to the family after post-mortem

A man detained on suspicion of theft has died after being handed over to the police in Tongi.

Roni Mia, 30, was declared dead by doctors at Gazipur's Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital around 9:30pm on Thursday, said Tongi West Police Station chief Harun-or Rashid.

He lived with his wife in a house at Bara Deora Paran Muler Tek in Tongi.

After nabbing him on suspicion of theft from the Bara Deora area of Tongi around 2pm on Thursday, locals handed Roni over to the Tongi West Police Station.

Police said that Roni fell ill after going to the toilet in the police station around 6:30pm on Thursday. He was immediately sent to Tongi Shaheed Ahsanullah Master General Hospital for treatment.

Later, doctors there advised police to take Roni to Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital for advanced care.

But he died soon after being transferred to the facility in Gazipur.

Ashish Chowdhury, a doctor at the emergency department of Tongi Shaheed Ahsanullah Master General Hospital, said: “Police brought Roni to the hospital. We did not find any injury marks on his body. Later, we referred him to Gazipur Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Medical College Hospital for more advanced treatment."

Harun said Roni was not tortured at the police station, adding that his body would be handed over to the family after a post-mortem exam. Legal measures regarding the incident are under way.