India hands over Panna’s body to his family

The body of Awami League leader Ishaque Ali Khan Panna, recovered in India’s Meghalaya, has been handed over to his family.

The body was brought in through the Tamabil Immigration Checkpost in Gowainghat upazila of Sylhet district around 11:30 am on Saturday, according to the Upazila’s executive officer Md Touhidul Islam.

“Representatives from the BGB and BSF were present during the handover,” he said. “Immigration police personnel from the two countries were also present. The body was released to Ishaque Ali Khan Panna’s nephew afterwards.”

Meghalaya police officially announced the recovery of Panna's body on Thursday, reports bdnews24.com.

The decomposing body was found at a betel nut plantation in Dona Bhoi village in the East Jaintia Hills area on Aug 26, nearly 1.5km from the Bangladesh-India border, they said in a press release.

Panna's identity was confirmed through a passport found with the body.

Police sources told NDTV that the postmortem report said Panna died because of strangulation -- "the cause of the death is asphyxia caused by throttling".

There were also multiple injuries on the body, including lacerations, abrasions, and bruises “which could indicate a struggle by the victim," the report added.

The report also noted cuts and wounds on his forehead. The body was later sent for forensic examination.

United News of India, another media outlet, wrote that Panna’s family claimed he had nearly $20 million on him.

However, Giri Prasad, chief of East Jaintia Hills District Police, says the body did not have any cash on it.

Although the Meghalaya police reported that Panna's body was recovered on Aug 26, his nephew Laikuzzaman Talukdar Mintu claimed on Aug 24 that others who were with his uncle said that he had died from a fall from a hill that morning in Shillong after his foot slipped.

Panna’s body is currently at the Khliehriat Civil Hospital morgue.

QUESTIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED

Although the former Chhatra League general secretary’s body has been released to the family, questions about the cause of his death and how he crossed the border remain unanswered.

Meghalaya police remain puzzled about the family's claim that Panna had around $20 million with him.

East Jaintia Hills District Police chief Prasad said they had no information regarding any money.

“We do not have any information on the money. When we recovered the body, the only things in his possession were a Bangladeshi passport and a smartwatch.”

The Meghalaya state government is also in a bind over Panna's case. The state government has decided to investigate how a fugitive Bangladeshi politician crossed into Indian territory undetected.

Tynsong admitted that they are still in the dark about the incident and need to know the truth.

"Our responsibility is only to hand over the body to the family, but the state government is confused about the entire matter."

Asked whether Panna's death was a 'homicide,' he said that it would only become clear once the forensic examination report is received.

Deputy Chief Minister Tynsong ruled out the possibility of a high-level investigation into Panna’s death.

India’s BSF, facing criticism after discovering the body of such a prominent Bangladeshi politician on Indian soil, has called for an investigation into the incident.

Tynsong claimed the BSF had informed the state government that while Bangladesh authorities claimed Panna was trying to flee to India, there was no question of illegal entry.

"But two or three days later, his body was found 1.5km inside Indian territory," Tynsong said.

He said a curfew is enforced at night along the Meghalaya-Bangladesh border, and strict instructions have been given to the BSF and police to prevent infiltration, raising questions about how a body could be found on Indian soil if there was no illegal entry.

Tynsong added: "There is also a possibility that Panna was killed in Bangladesh and his body was left in Meghalaya."

He further claimed that no money was found with the body.

To clear up all doubts, Tynsong said the state government would look into the incident more thoroughly.