A 42-year-old man who had been arrested on suspicion of cattle smuggling died while in police custody at Tufanganj Police Station in Cooch Behar district on Wednesday, prompting protests by his family in the incident. The deceased has been identified as Noor Hossain Sheikh.
According to police, recent flooding and rising water levels in rivers along the Indo-Bangladesh border have allegedly led to an increase in attempts to smuggle cattle through the open stretches near the Kaljani River. Acting on specific intelligence, personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) and West Bengal Police conducted a joint operation on Tuesday in the Balabhut area near the banks of the Kaljani River. During the operation, Noor Hossain Sheikh was apprehended and eight cattle were seized. Officials alleged that the animals were being smuggled across the international border.
The accused was scheduled to be produced before the Tufanganj Sub-Divisional Court on Wednesday. Confirming the incident, Cooch Behar Superintendent of Police Jaspreet Singh said that the arrested man was found unconscious inside the police lock-up on Wednesday morning. He was immediately taken to Tufanganj Sub-Divisional Hospital, where doctors declared him dead. A case of unnatural death has been registered in connection with the incident. An investigation into the incident has been initiated in the presence of a magistrate.
On the other hand, Initially, the doctors said that the man died of a stroke. Moreover, the deceased had pre-existing problems related to high blood pressure.
The incident triggered protests by the deceased’s family and local residents, who blocked the Balabhut regional office demanding a fair investigation into the custodial death.
Family members disputed the police’s version of events and denied the allegation that Noor Hossain was involved in cattle smuggling. The deceased’s brother, Noor Mohammad Mia, alleged that Noor Hossain had fallen ill after being taken into custody by the BSF and police. family members informed police about his medical condition when they visited the police station on Tuesday night, but their concerns were allegedly ignored. “They did not arrange for proper medical treatment or even take him to a doctor,” Noor Mohammad claimed.
He further alleged that his brother died as a result of torture while in the custody of the BSF and police, and demanded an impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death. Mohammad also claimed that the family was not informed immediately about Noor Hossain’s condition on Wednesday morning. “We went to the police station ourselves. From there we went to the hospital, where we found his body lying in the morgue,” he alleged.
Police have not commented on the allegations made by the family. Officials said the exact cause of death will be determined after the post-mortem examination and completion of the ongoing investigation.
A member of the human rights organization APDR (Association for Protection of Democratic Rights) stated that, according to the claims made by the police and the BSF, Noor Hossain Sheikh was arrested with eight cows and was allegedly involved in smuggling. Even if these allegations were true, he still had the full right—under the country’s prevailing laws—to be produced before a court and to defend himself legally. A person’s death in police custody before being proven guilty—whether caused by torture or police negligence—amounts, in effect, to an extrajudicial killing. When a citizen is in police custody, the concerned police station bears the legal and moral responsibility of ensuring their safety; the police failed to fulfill that obligation.
Speaking to The Observer Post, Rahul Chakraborty, a member of APDR’s Central Secretariat, said, “In a democratic state, the rule of law is paramount. Only the courts—not the police—have the authority to determine guilt and impose punishment for any crime or alleged offence in accordance with the law.”
