Mauha UP Chairman Romiz Uddin Swapan tortures a youth at a public place in Gouripur upazila of Mymensingh on Sunday bringing charge of taking drug and theft against him. Photo: Star

A union parishad chairman tortured two youths before hundreds of people in Gouripur upazila bringing charge of taking drug and theft against them.

The victims are Rokon Mia, 25, son of Akkas Ali, and Dipu, 20, son of Masud of the area.

Mauha UP Chairman Romiz Uddin Swapan tied the youths to a concrete pillar, beat them and cut off their hair, said locals.

When Romiz, also upazila Awami League's organising secretary, was returning home on Sunday evening, he found Rokon and Dipu sitting idle at Boikharhati.

After a hot chase, the chairman caught the two and tortured them in front of hundreds of villagers, said local people.

Romiz said villagers informed him that the youths are drugs users and also involved with theft.

He could not give any satisfactory answer when asked whether it was justified for a chairman to take the law in his hand.

The chairman cannot punish anyone like that and he should have handed over the youths to police, said OC Delwar Ahmed of Gouripur Police Station.

Advocate Abul Kalam Azad said a public representative cannot do what Romiz did.