The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has claimed that actor Ashraful Haque Don withheld important information during his five-day remand in the Salman Shah murder case.
However, the investigation agency said it found evidence indicating his possible involvement in the incident after analysing his behaviour and statements during interrogation. The CID is now verifying the information and evidence, according to the case investigator.
After completing the five-day remand, Don was produced before a Dhaka court on Wednesday, with the investigation officer, CID Dhaka Metro South Inspector Mujibur Rahman, seeking his detention in jail.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana ordered Don to be sent to jail following the application.
SI Shah Alam of the court’s prosecution department confirmed the matter.
In the application, the investigation officer said Don was a close friend of Salman Shah and had acted alongside him in several films between 1992 and 6 September 1996, the day of the actor’s death.
During interrogation about the fugitive accused named in the case, Don admitted knowing them but allegedly withheld several important pieces of information, the investigator said.
The CID believes Don may have information about the incident because of his close friendship with Salman Shah and their regular interactions.
According to the application, Don gave highly calculated answers when questioned about Salman Shah’s death and the case. His behaviour and statements indicated possible links to the incident, the investigator said.
However, the information and evidence require further verification, he added.
As the case is highly sensitive and widely discussed, the CID is examining the information carefully, the investigator said. He added that Don may be interrogated again with court permission if necessary and sought his continued detention until the investigation is completed.
“There was no application from the accused’s side. The court ordered him to be sent to jail,” SI Shah Alam said.
Don was arrested by immigration police at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on 9 August and was later handed over to the CID. He was sent to jail the same day.
On 20 August, the investigation officer sought seven days’ remand to interrogate him. After a hearing on 27 August, the court granted five days’ remand.
Long-running mystery over Salman Shah’s death
Popular actor Salman Shah died at his flat in Eskaton, Dhaka, on 6 September 1996. His death has remained the subject of controversy and questions for decades.
His father, Komruddin Ahmed Chowdhury, initially filed an unnatural death case. He later sought to have the case converted into a murder case, alleging that his son had been killed.
Following a court order, the CID investigated the matter and submitted a final report on 3 November 1997, concluding that Salman Shah had died by suicide.
His father rejected the report and filed a revision petition. On 19 May 2003, the case was sent for a judicial inquiry. After an 11-year investigation, Metropolitan Magistrate Imdadul Haque submitted the inquiry report on 3 August 2014, also rejecting the murder allegation.
After Salman Shah’s father died, his mother Neela Chowdhury continued pursuing the case. On 10 February 2015, she filed a no-confidence petition against the judicial inquiry report, naming 11 people whom she suspected of being involved in her son’s death.
RAB and PBI investigations
The case was later handed over to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). However, following an objection from the state, Judge Imrul Kayes of the Dhaka Special Judge Court-6 ordered RAB to stop its investigation on 21 August 2016.
The investigation was subsequently handed over to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI). After nearly four years of investigation, the PBI submitted a final report on 25 February 2020.
The report said the PBI had found no evidence of murder after analysing statements from 54 people who were present at or connected to the incident and examining seized evidence.
The PBI report said Salman Shah had taken his own life because of family disputes over his close relationship with actor Shabnur and the emotional distress caused by living separately from his mother, Neela Chowdhury, because of his wife Samira Haque.
His mother, however, rejected the report and called for a further investigation into the actual cause of her son’s death.
On 31 October 2021, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mamunur Rashid accepted the PBI report and discharged the accused.
The Salman Shah family later filed a revision petition before the Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court. Although the petition was admitted on 12 June 2022, its hearing was delayed for various reasons.
Fresh murder case
On 20 October last year, Dhaka Sixth Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Jannatul Ferdous Ibn Haque allowed the revision petition concerning Salman Shah’s death.
The court ordered that a murder case be filed, incorporating the allegations made by Salman Shah’s father, as well as the statement of Rizvi Ahmed alias Farhad, who was involved in the incident. It also directed Ramna Model Police Station to investigate the allegations and submit a report.
A case was subsequently filed alleging that Salman Shah had been murdered in a premeditated conspiracy. The case was filed by Mohammad Alamgir Kumkum, on behalf of Salman Shah’s mother, Neela Chowdhury.
