Mitu Murder: Babul, 6 others charge-sheeted

The Police Bureau of Investigation yesterday submitted a charge sheet against seven people, including former superintendent of police Babul Akhter, in a case filed over the murder of his wife Mahmuda Khanam Mitu.

Abu Jafar Mohammad Omar Faruk, of the PBI metro unit and also the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet to a Chattogram court.

The six other accused are Kamrul Islam Musa, Ehteshamul Haque Bhola alias Haniful Haque, Motaleb Mia Wasim, Md Anwar Hossain, Md Khairul Islam Kalu and Md Shahjahan Mia, court sources said.

Of those charge-sheeted, Babul, Wasim, Shahjahan and Anwar are now behind bars, while Ehteshamul secured bail from a higher court. Musa, who was Babul's informant, and Kalu have been on the run since the murder.

The PBI dropped the names of Saidul Islam Sakku, Nurunnabi, Md Rashed and Abu Naser Gunnu.

Rashed and Nurunnabi were killed in an alleged shootout a few days after Mitu's murder, while the PBI did not find Sakku or Gunnu's involvement during investigation.

Meanwhile, 97 people were made witnesses in the charge sheet.

Speaking to journalists at the court, PBI SP Naima Sultana said, "We have submitted the charge sheet after careful investigation, during which we found Babul Akhter to be involved in the murder of Mitu."

Kamrul Hasan, additional deputy commissioner (prosecution) of CMP, said, "The court has scheduled October 10 for the hearing on the charge sheet."

Babul dramatically turned into the main accused from the plaintiff after failing to give satisfactory answers when summoned for interrogation by the PBI's Chattogram metro unit in May 2021.

One of the questions was regarding the payment of Tk 3 lakh to Babul's business partner and now charge-sheeted fugitive Kamrul Islam Musa soon after the murder. Musa worked as Babul's informant after the latter became an SP.

Two of the testimonies were given by Sayful Haque, another business partner of Babul, and Kazi Al Mamun, relative of Musa, on May 11 last year, after Babul was arrested.

Sayful had said he arranged Tk 3 lakh from Babul's share of profits from their business and sent the money via mobile banking service to Musa, a top PBI official said.

On June 5, 2016, Mitu was stabbed and shot while walking her son to his school-bus stop at the port city's GEC intersection. After the murder, Babul filed a case against three unidentified men with Panchlaish Police Station.

On September 8, Babul lodged a complaint accusing PBI Chief Banaj Kumar Majumdar and five others, including two PBI SPs, of physically and mentally torturing him in custody before showing him arrested in the case.