Five policemen have been sued for threatening a Swechchasebak League leader in Narsingdi with death in crossfire and taking a confessional statement from him about involvement of three Awami League men and a DB police official in narcotics trade.

Soma Begum, wife of Swechchasebak League leader Abul Kalam in Monohardi upazila, filed a case with the Narsingdi District and Sessions Judge's Court against the five yesterday under the Torture and Custodial Death (Prevention) Act 2013.

The five are Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Sohel Rana, SI Rezaul Kazi, and Constable Mamun of Shibpur Police Station, and SI Nazim and ASI Shahin Sarkar of Monohardi Police Station.

A written complaint was also submitted to the superintendent of police in the district.

ASI Sohel and Constable Mamun were closed to the police lines following a primary investigation.

According to the First Information Report, Sohel detained Kalam and his friend Himel Mia, a Swechchasebak League leader in Monohardi, from Shibpur bus stand and took them to Shibpur Police Station on Thursday evening.

Upon getting the news of Kalam's arrest, his relatives went to the police station and found that Sohel and other policemen there were torturing him. His arm was broken during torture, it said.

Sohel told them that Kalam was detained with narcotics and that he could not be released. The police official then asked them to leave the station.

Under threat of death in crossfire, Kalam later gave a confession statement that three local AL leaders and a member of the Detective Branch of Police were involved in narcotics trade.

Sohel recorded the statement on his phone and demanded Tk 2 lakh from Kalam's family for his release.

As Kalam's family refused to pay, Shibpur police on Friday filed a case against Kalam on the charge of possessing 250 yaba pills, according to the FIR.

No charge was brought against Himel and he was freed.

Talking to this newspaper yesterday, Soma said her husband never took drugs let alone getting involved in narcotics trade.

Contacted, Sohel denied recording any confessional statement of Kalam and torturing him.

Abul Kalam Azad, officer-in-charge of Shibpur Police Station, said they would take action after probing the matter.