Assam Cops Arrest Kin of Fish Trader Who Allegedly Died in Custody, UAPA Invoked

Six persons, including Islam’s wife Rashida Khatun, and his daughter allegedly burned down a police station.

Batadrava police station was set on fire following the alleged death of Safiqul Islam in police custody.

(Photo: PTI)

The Assam Police on Sunday, 22 May, arrested the wife and daughter of a fish trader, Safiqul Islam, who had allegedly died in police custody.

Six persons, including Islam’s wife Rashida Khatun, and his daughter, a class 8 student, were arrested for allegedly burning down the Batadraba police station, Nagaon Superintendent of Police Leena Doley told Scroll.in on Monday.

As per a report by The Indian Express, five of six accused of setting the police station ablaze will be booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for their suspected terror links.

As per police officials, the accused are being probed for having links to the Ansarullah Bangla Team, a banned Bangaldeshi organisation, the Scroll.in report said.

Three cases – one into Islam's death, one into the fire disaster, and one pertaining to terror links – have been registered ever since the trader's demise.

Safiqul Islam's Arrest

According to police, Islam, a fish seller from the village of Salonbari, was detained on 20 May, after complaints of him being drunk on the road.

While the police claim that the person was brought to the station as he was found on the road at night in a drunken state, the mob alleged that the cops demanded a bribe of Rs 10,000 and a duck after detaining him.

Islam’s wife consequently indicated that Islam was physically assaulted in custody after they failed to pay the amount demanded.

The police, however, claimed that Islam was ill and was taken to the district hospital, where he was declared dead.

The family also said that when they wished to visit Safikul in the police station, they were told that he had been admitted in the hospital. On reaching the hospital, the family learnt of Safikul’s death and that his body had been shifted to the morgue.

Authorities Demolish Houses After Police Station Set Ablaze

Following his contested death, an angry mob from Salonbari torched the police station and indulged in vandalism.

After the burning of the station, Assam authorities demolished houses of those allegedly involved in the act, including Islam's house.

They claimed the 'mob' were living on encroached land, and owned 'forged' documents.

A special investigating team (SIT) led by Nagaon assistant superintendent of police, has reportedly been constituted to probe the arson incident.

Further, Karbi Anglong assistant superintendent of police will undertake a probe into Islam's death.

(With inputs from Scroll.in and The Indian Express.)