JASHORE CORRESPONDENT:

A woman, who was arrested by police on Saturday midnight, died in police custody in Jashore’s Abhaynagar upazila on Sunday morning.

The family members of the deceased Afroza Begum, 38, alleged that police arrested the woman after framing her with possession of yaba pills. Later, they tortured the victim to death after getting no money as bribe from her and family members.

Afroza was the wife of Jalil Molla from North Bengal Road of the upazila.

Afroza’s eldest son Munna Molla, her husband, and other relatives said that ASI Silon Ali and ASI Shamsul Haque of Abhaynagar Police Station, along with a few other officers, went to their house around midnight on Saturday.

They claimed the police officers planted yaba tablets on her and detained her.

They also alleged that the police looted TK1.80 lakh which they got from selling their battery-operated autorickshaw, and tortured her to death for bribe of TK 2 lakh.

The family demanded justice for her death.

“The police officers tied her hair to a fan and beat her. Around 1am, they took her to the police station. The next morning, we found her very ill at the station. After pleading with the police, she was taken to the Upazila Health Complex,” said her son Munna.

The doctors prescribed some tests, but the police did not allow them to be conducted and took her back to the police station, Munna added.

Later, when she fell ill again and they prepared to take her to Jashore General Hospital, but she died on the way to the hospital, Munna said.

She died around 11:30 AM on Sunday while being taken from Abhaynagar to Jashore General Hospital.

However, police claimed that the woman, who was detained with drugs, died due to a heart condition.

They said Afroza Begum was detained with 30 yaba pills and later, a case was filed against her at Abhaynagar Police Station.

Additional Superintendent of Police in Jashore (Abhaynagar Circle) Zahidul Islam said that the police had provided her medical care and she was being sent to the city for better treatment.

Dr. Abdus Samad, the resident medical officer at Jessore General Hospital, said Afroza was brought dead, and the cause of death could not be determined without an autopsy.