A Dhaka court has once again deferred the submission of the investigation report in the murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi, marking the 125th such delay to date.
Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam fixed 7 May as the new deadline for the submission after the investigating officer, Md Azizul Huq, Additional Superintendent of Police of the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI), failed to submit the report on Wednesday.
The development was confirmed by Rafiqul Islam Russell, a Sub-Inspector of the Prosecution Department.
The victims, Sagar Sarowar, who served as the News Editor at Maasranga Television, and Meherun Runi, a Senior Reporter at ATN Bangla, were murdered on 11 February 2012. Following the killings, the victim’s brother, Nowsher Alam Roman, filed a murder case at the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.
The investigation has seen multiple handovers over the last decade. Initially handled by a Sub-Inspector of the local police station, the case was transferred to the Detective Branch (DB) four days later.
After the DB failed to solve the mystery within two months, the High Court, on 18 April 2012, directed the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) to take over the probe.
In a significant development on 30 September last year, the High Court ordered the formation of a high-powered Task Force comprising experienced investigators from various agencies to conclude the probe within six months.
The court also ordered the removal of RAB from the investigation. Following these directives, the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification on 17 October constituting a four-member high-level Task Force committee, with the PBI Chief as its convener.
The accused named in the case are Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Mia, Masum Mintu, Kamrul Islam (alias Arun), Abu Sayeed, and the couple’s house security guards, Palash Rudra Paul and Enayet Ahmed, alongside their “friend” Tanveer Rahman Khan.
Amongst them, Tanveer is currently out on bail, while Palash Rudra Paul has absconded after securing bail. The remaining accused are currently in custody.
