Kolkata: A 49-year-old Muslim man, Muntaj Sheikh, from Durgapur village in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, died under suspicious circumstances at Lalbagh sub-jail, prompting allegations of murder by his family.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the incident has ignited controversy and grief within the community. Sheikh was arrested during a police raid on June 5 in Islampur’s Durgapur area. After an initial detention at the Bekibagan police camp, he was transferred to Lalbagh sub-jail following a court appearance. Police reports indicate that Sheikh fell ill on June 8 and died in the hospital shortly thereafter.
The family’s distress escalated when Sheikh’s body was returned home post-autopsy. Observing the condition of the body, they accused the police of severe mistreatment and fatal torture. Jaherun Bewa, Sheikh’s mother, claimed in a statement to the media that her son was visibly beaten by police both during the arrest and later at the police camp, leading to his death from what she describes as “unnatural torture.”