Father saw head injury, inquest found none

Yaar Hossain, father of Sohagi Jahan Tonu, rejects the inquest report as it does not mention some injury marks he saw on his daughter's body after finding her murdered on the night of March 20.

The report, prepared by Sub-Inspector Saiful Islam of Cantonment Police Outpost in Comilla, reads, "No sign of injury or assault was seen on any part of the deceased's body."

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, Yaar Hossain said, "The back of her head was smashed, and there was injuries in her nose."

He went on, "I saw it very clearly. Some others, including police and the woman who bathed the body before her burial, saw it too."

Besides, he noticed that blood had come out from Tonu's nose and ears. This too is missing in the inquest report.

Yaar Hossain said he told investigators of the Detective Branch and Criminal Investigation Department about the wounds. "I will tell it to the court also," he added. 

One of Tonu's relatives told this correspondent that he saw the face and there was injury in the nose.

On the fateful night, Yaar Hossain was the first to find her daughter dead in a bush in Comilla Cantonment area.

He took her to Combined Military Hospital in Comilla with the help of some others. According to the death certificate issued by CMH, she was brought in dead. 

Around 2:00am on March 21, SI Saiful prepared the inquest report at the emergency unit of CMH before sending the body to Comilla Medical College morgue for autopsy. 

The Daily Star obtained a copy of the inquest report, which bears signatures of six witnesses, including victim's father, mother Anwara Begum and brother Anwar Hossain.

The sub-inspector prepared the report at will, Yaar Hossain told this correspondent yesterday.

He also alleged that SI Saiful took their signatures before writing anything on that paper.

"I was asked to sign the paper. But as I said I would not sign it, he [the police official] told me that I have to do it for filing a diary."

Yaar Hossain was still not convinced. But he and other family members had to sign the paper as the cop insisted that the signatures were necessary for filing a case.

SI Saiful Islam denied this allegation.

“Many can bring many allegations but I don't mind,” he told The Daily Star yesterday, claiming that he wrote whatever he saw and then took signatures of the family members.

The report reads that Tonu, 19, a college student, was in a black-red-yellow printed kameez, a black salwar and a lilac-colour scarf. Most of her two-foot hair was cut. Her mouth and eyes were shut.

There was a minor cut and blood spot on the upper part of her left ear. Minor portion of skin on the left of the face and above the right knee were bruised. Her genitalia and rectum were normal.

There were sands in different parts of the clothes and body.

The kameez was torn off to some extent, the report says without specifying the area.

SI Saiful prepared the inquest report in the presence of gynaecologist Lt Col Selina Begum and ayah Rozina Begum.

Doctors could not find out the cause of her death, says the report.