Police recovered the body of an accused of theft, who was beaten to death at Raipur upazila in Laxmipur district, from a hospital on Monday morning.
The victim, Abu Kalam, 30, was a laborer at a brick kiln and a resident of Bhuiyan Gazi Patuari Bari in Bamani union in the upazila.
The accused, identified as local rickshaw driver Masud, has been brought in for questioning, confirmed Raipur Police Station officer-in-charge Nizam Uddin Bhuiyan.
According to locals and the victim family members, Masud's rickshaw battery was reportedly stolen on Saturday night. On Sunday, it was recovered from a scrap shop by Masud's relative, Nishan. Subsequently, Nishan, along with other individuals, allegedly abducted Abu Kalam from his rented house in Bangla Bazar and took him to a nearby betel nut grove in Kanchanpur, where he was severely beaten.
Kalam's wife, Rehana Begum, claimed that the accusations were fabricated, asserting that her husband was falsely accused and brutally killed. She demanded justice, stating, "My husband was not a thief. Those responsible must face the law."
Local sources revealed that Abu Kalam was known in the area for alleged thefts and had a history of legal troubles, including a pending rape case in Chandpur. However, they condemned the extrajudicial punishment, stating that taking the law into one’s hands was unacceptable.
Some suspects, including Nishan, Shahin, and Alomgir, have reportedly gone into hiding following the incident.
OC Nizam Uddin stated, "Preliminary findings suggest Abu Kalam was assaulted by a group of locals who later left him in critical condition at the betel nut grove. He was taken to the nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival."
The body has been sent to the district hospital morgue for autopsy. No formal complaint has been filed yet, but the police are investigating the matter. "We are verifying the details and will take appropriate legal action after completing the investigation," added the OC.
