A POLICE Constable killed after being beaten and thrown into a water body by local people after a betel leaf trader, alleged by police as a drug trader, was similarly killed by police drowned in a pond during an Anti-Narcotics drive at Sonargaon Municipality area on Wednesday. According to media reports Officer in-Charge of Sonargaon Police Station claimed that the deceased betel leaf trader was drug peddler and the Constable was killed when a team of cops raided the area on a tip-off. They chased a group of suspected drug peddlers and addicts. The suspects managed to flee but the drug peddler drowned into a nearby water body. The Constable called local people and joined them in search operation. But agitated local people beat up the Constable to death throwing him into water body and hurling brickbats at him. Eventually the cop drowned in the water body.
But the description of ASI of same Police Station defers from that of OC who said he along with the Constable was returning to police station riding a motor-bike after investigating a case at a local village. The drug peddler on seeing police tried to run away but slipped to a water body beside the road. They tried to arrest him but he drowned and died. ASI admitted that there is no complaint or case against the man in the Police Station.
The accounts vary from person to person. But the incident pointed out once again how law and order situation has deteriorated when police killed the man that he can’t. On the other hand, local people killed the policeman; which is also utter manifestation of break-down of law and order and a crime. And it is the reflection of the chaotic situation the entire nation is going through. Why police should go to investigate any case or catch some one in civil dress and particularly when there was no case against the man in question. Police have no authority to beat any person either because he is a so-called accused. At the same time it is a dangerous symptom that mass people are being tempted to take law in their own hand.
It is worrisome to see a police killed by angry mob and the matter needs to be carefully investigated in the context of public image of police.
