Relatives and neighbours of Samsul Zaman with candles in front of his photograph at Hashmi Chowk in Siliguri on Friday. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, Oct. 24: Samsul Zaman had written to the Union home minister for justice before he allegedly jumped in front of a speeding train on October 20.

Threats from a police official to book him in a case of international smuggling if he did not give in to demands for money had prompted the 35-year-old to kill himself, his father Md Shah Jahan said.

Biman Poddar, an assistant sub-inspector of the District Intelligence Branch (DIB) office in Siliguri, has been suspended after Samsul’s family lodged an FIR against him for abetting the alleged suicide. “Samsul (alias Md Gulab) was apprehensive that he would be arrested again like in 1998. He, along with my other son Nawab Gulam Rabbani, was arrested then on the charge that they were anti-nationals and had to spent eight years in Tihar Jail as under trials,” said Jahan, a resident of Chappalpatti off Hill Cart Road here.

After acquittal, Samsul was trying to settle down with his vegetable export business. But he often got calls from the police would allegedly quote his Case No (515/90) to harass him.

“…Till now the case of Siliguri FIR No.-515/98 dated 31.12 .1998 has not been dispose of court of Ld. S.D.J.M. Siliguri not only this the applicant is getting threat in his telephone (landline BSNL) that how you will start your business and marred, we will sent your family to behind the bar (jail)…I will request you to take necessary action for disposal of my case…The applicant fear that he may falsely implicated in false case (sic).” the letter to the home minister read.

Although the brothers had been acquitted by Delhi High Court in the 1998 case, the subdivisional judicial magistrate’s court in Siliguri was yet to dispose it.

On the day Samsul died, Poddar had visited his residence. “He took away my brother to his office. When Samsul came back after an hour, he said Poddar had threatened to implicate him in a false case of international smuggling. He did not say the amount of money that Poddar wanted from him,” Nawab said.

The Chappalpatti residents had blocked Hashmi Chowk with Gulab’s body on October 21 to protest against the alleged police atrocity. The protest was lifted only after the subdivisional officer of Siliguri Smita Pandey had assured them that action would be taken against the accused.

Poddar was booked on October 22 under Section 306 of the IPC for abetting suicide. He was suspended yesterday. “Poddar’s case has been handed over to the CID. He has been asked to report to the Darjeeling Police Line on half salary, ” said Rahul Srivastava, the Darjeeling superintendent of police.

The people of Chappalpatti today lit candles in front of a picture of Samsul in Hashmi Chowk as a mark of protest.