Cumilla Twin Murder: Now prime accused killed in ‘gunfight’

The prime accused in the Cumilla double-murder case was killed in a "gunfight" with police in the city early yesterday.

Shah Alam, 28, was a resident of the city's Sujanagar Bou bazar area.

He had gone into hiding with his family on November 22, when Cumilla City Corporation Councillor Syed Mohammad Sohel, 48, and his close aide Haripada Das, 45, were shot dead by masked gunmen in the councillor's office in the city's Pathuriapara area.

Two days after the murder, Sohel's younger brother Syed Mohammad Roman filed the case with Kotwali Police Station against 11 named and some eight to 10 unnamed people.

Two other accused -- Mohammad Sabbir Hossain, 28, and Sajon, 32 – were also killed in a "gunfight" with police in the city's Shangraish Beribadh area on November 30.

Seven people have so far been arrested in this case, said police.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team yesterday raided Beribadh area near Gumti river around 12:15am to recover illegal arms.

"Sensing police presence, miscreants opened fire around 1:15am. In retaliation, police fired back at the miscreants," said Porimol Das, sub-inspector of the Detective Branch of police in Cumilla.

"At one stage, the miscreants, except one, fled the scene. Police found him with bullet wounds and a pistol in his hand. Locals identified him as Shah Alam. He was rushed to Cumilla Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead."

Police recovered a firearm, several bullet shells and cartridges, said SI Porimol, adding that two police officials were also injured in the incident.

Around 3:20am, the body was buried at the city's Tikkarchar graveyard in the presence of police. None of his family members were present.

The process of lodging a case was underway as of the filing the report around 9:30pm yesterday, said police.

The correspondent yesterday visited Shah Alam's residence, where he used to live with his mother Parul Begum, wife Ria Akter and a 13-month-old son. But no one was in the house.

Neighbours said Shah Alam and his family members have been in hiding since the councillor's murder.

Some locals said Shah Alam's mother Parul came to the house yesterday morning hearing the news of her son's death, but she left within moments.

Contacted over phone, Shah Alam's wife Ria Akter declined to make any comments.