Probe report delayed for the 78th time

A Dhaka court yesterday again asked Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) to submit by March 11 the probe report of a case filed over the murders of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi.

With yesterday's date, the investigation officer has so far taken 78 dates to complete the investigation.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Debdash Chandra Adhikary passed the order after Rab's Additional Superintendent Khondoker Shafiqul Alam, also investigation officer of the case, failed to submit the report yesterday.

Sagar, news editor at private TV channel Maasranga, and his wife Runi, a senior reporter at ATN Bangla, were killed in the early hours of February 11, 2012 in their rented flat in the capital's West Razabazar.

After Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police and the Detective Branch of police, Rab was tasked with the probe on April 18, 2012.

At least eight people, including suspects Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Miah, Masum Mintu, Kamrul Hasan alias Arun, Abu Sayeed, and two security guards of the couple's house Palash Rudra Paul and Enamul Hoque, and the couple's "family friend" Tanveer Rahman had been arrested in connection with the murder.

Later, Tanveer and Palash got out of jail on bail. The others are now behind bars.