Probe deadline extended again

A Dhaka court yesterday granted Rapid Action Battalion 36 more days to complete the investigation into the sensational murder of Sagar-Runi.

Metropolitan Magistrate Tareq Mainul Islam Bhuiyan asked Rab to submit the probe report before the court on September 18 after the elite force filed a petition seeking more time. 

With this, the time given to Detective Branch of police and Rab to investigate the case has been extended for the 27th time.

On June 29, the same court had asked Rab to submit the report on the murder of the journalist couple before it within yesterday.

In yesterday's petition, Investigation Officer Wares Ali, also an assistant superintendent of police of Rab, said he needed more time to complete the investigation properly and he would submit the report as early as possible.

Wares had submitted a progress report on the case on March 20 following a High Court directive, two days after being made the IO.

Sagar Sarowar, news editor of private TV station Maasranga, and his wife Meherun Runi, senior reporter of another channel, ATN Bangla, were killed at their rented flat in the capital's West Rajabazar on February 11, 2012.

Their only son Mahir Sarowar Megh, then five, was at home at that time.

DB was first tasked with probing the twin murder. It detained four suspects and interrogated some 40 people.

Frustrated with the DB's performance, the HC in April 2012 handed over the case to Rab.

In October 2012, the then home minister announced a bounty of Tk 10 lakh for helping law enforcers nab Humayun Kabir, the guard at Sagar-Runi's residence, who was on the run since the murders.

Humayun was arrested on February 9 last year, but there has been no 'progress' in the case since then.