Tonu Murder Case: PBI takes over probe after 4yrs of no progress
Police Bureau of Investigation has been assigned the investigation of the widely covered case of Cumilla Victoria College student and theatre activist Sohagi Jahan Tonu's rape and murder.
Salauddin Al Mahmud, court inspector of Cumilla confirmed it to The Daily Star. He said, "According to the police headquarter's directive, PBI has taken the charge of the probe of Tonu murder case.
The responsibility was handed over from CID officially on October 28 with a court-issued letter."
Sohagi Jahan Tonu was raped and murdered on March 20, 2016 at the highly secure area of Cumilla cantonment, where her dead body was recovered from the bushes near power house area.
According to case record, after two autopsies in the two weeks after her death, CID was appointed on March 31, 2016 for probe investigation. They could not manage to file a charge sheet in the four years since.
CID's only progress was tracing three spermatozoa samples from DNA testing of Tonu's clothing. CID confirmed that she had been raped before being killed. No matches were made from the DNA samples.
CID officials quizzed around 200 people, including army personnel and Tonu's friends, but there was no visible progress in the probe, which frustrated the family members and rights bodies.
On a few occasions, CID special team quizzed some people in Dhaka cantonment but their identities were not revealed. Their attempts to match the DNA samples also went in vain.
Tonu's mother Anwara Begum then claimed that if CID interrogated a certain sergeant and his wife, the truth will be revealed as she was a tutor at their house at the time.
Anwara said PBI has visited her husband's office and spoken with him and their son on November 15.
She also said to The Daily Star, "The murder [case] of my daughter Tonu is clear as day. But the investigation has been manipulated by certain influential persons. I hope that one day we will get justice and criminals will be punished."
Mizanur Rahman, additional superintendent of PBI Cumilla unit, said, "PBI Dhaka unit may be investigating the Tonu murder. PBI Cumilla unit has not been appointed for the investigation."
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