Sagar-Runi Murder: HC slams lack of progress in investigation
The High Court yesterday expressed disappointment at the lack of significant progress in the investigation into the sensational murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi.
“The investigation of the case has not been completed in eight years. Will this just remain in the list of sensational cases?” the bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Md Mostafizur Rahman said while hearing a petition filed by accused Tanvir Rahman, who is now out on bail.
During the proceedings, investigation officer of the case Khondker Shafiqul Alam appeared before the HC bench as per its earlier order to explain the progress of the investigation.
Khondker Shafiqul Alam, an additional superintendent of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), told the court the investigation of Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi murder case is going on.
Relevant samples of the accused and the deceased have been sent to the laboratory of Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the USA for DNA test, and the result is yet to come, he said while replying to the query from the HC.
The court asked the IO whether they could recover the computer reportedly missing from the house of Sagar and Runi.
Investigation Officer Shafiqul replied in the negative.
At one stage, Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappi prayed to the HC to give a deadline for completing the investigation into the case.
The court set November 14 for passing further order on this issue.
While hearing on the petition filed by Tanvir Rahman on October 20, the HC bench had summoned the investigation officer of the case to know of the progress in probe.
Tanvir, an official of an English medium school in Dhaka, recently submitted the petition to the HC for scrapping trial proceedings against him in the case.
On that day, Tanvir’s lawyer Advocate Fawzia Karim Firoze told the court that his client is innocent, but is still an accused of the case as the investigation of the case was not completed.
After the hearing, the court issued a rule asking authorities concerned of the government to explain in two weeks why the proceedings of the case against Tanvir could not be quashed.
The HC had granted bail to Tanvir Rahman in the double murder case on March 8, 2015.
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 at their rented flat in the capital’s West Razabazar.
After investigation by Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) started probing the murder on April 18, 2012.
Rab and other agencies have taken more than 65 dates from the trial court concerned for completing probe into the murder.