Blogger Ananta Murder: Sylhet court bins CID charge sheet

A Sylhet court yesterday rejected the charge sheet submitted by the Criminal Investigation Department in blogger Ananta Bijoy Das murder case.

Judge Haridas Kumar of Sylhet Metropolitan Magistrate Court-3 also ordered the CID to reinvestigate the case and file a supplementary charge sheet soon.

The court passed the orders after it found the charge sheet flawed as it was submitted without proper investigation, said Additional Public Prosecutor Khokon Kumar Dutta.

On August 28, CID Inspector Arman Ali, also the investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet, accusing five people and recommending acquittal of 11 others.

The charge-sheeted accused are Mannan Yahya alias Mannan Rahi, 24, Abul Khaer Rashid Ahmed, 24, Abul Hossain, 25, Harunur Rashid, 25, and Faisal Ahmed, 27. Harunur is from Sunamganj's Tahirpur upazila while the rest are from Kanaighat upazila of Sylhet.

In the charge-sheet, the IO recommended acquittal of 11 accused, including Shafiur Rahman Farabi, known as a hate campaigner against secular forcers, and local photojournalist Idris Ali.

Of the accused, Rahi and Abul Khaer are in jail, while Abul Hossain, Faisal Ahmed and Harunur Rashid are on the run.

Ananta Bijoy Das was hacked to death at Subidbazar in Sylhet city on May 12, 2015 on the way to his office.

Later, banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team claimed responsibility of the murder through online post.

Ananta's brother Ratneswar Das filed a murder case accusing some unnamed persons with Sylhet Airport Police Station the next day. Later the case was transferred to the CID.