Family members of Abu Nosor Gunnu, arrested in connection with the killing of SP Babul Akhter's wife, yesterday claimed that he was framed for the murder because of his rivalry with another woman over a shrine in Hathazari.

Police, however, insisted they had evidence that Gunnu was at the spot where Mahmuda Khanam Mitu was murdered five days ago.

A team of the Detective Branch of Chittagong Metropolitan Police picked up Gunnu, aged about 45, from Musabiya Mazar (shrine) at Farhadabad of Hathazari upazila on Wednesday.

Devdas Bhattacharya, additional commissioner (crime and operation) of CMP, said the arrestee was “involved with Islami Chhatra Shibir”, student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami. After examining CCTV footage and other information, police suspected that he may have been involved in the murder.

Thirty-two-year-old Mitu was stabbed and shot dead by bike-riding assailants before her son at the port city's GEC intersection around 6:35am on Sunday.

The following day, a murder case was filed with Panchlaish Police Station.

Meanwhile, a Chittagong court yesterday ordered the investigating officer of the case to submit the case docket to it on June 12.

The court gave the order after detectives produced Gunnu before it, seeking seven-day remand, said court sources.

Abul Hasan, lawyer of the accused, said they told the court that their client was not involved with Shibir. There is a rivalry between two sisters of Musabiya, a spiritual leader, over establishing supremacy at the shrine.

A supporter of the elder sister of Musabiya, Gunnu is the secretary of the shrine's managing committee. That's why he has been framed by supporters of the youngest sister. The defence pleaded with the court to grant bail to the accused.

The court fixed June 12 for hearing the bail and remand prayers and sent the arrestee to jail.

Meanwhile, Khairun Nur Siddika, on behalf of arrestee's family, at a press conference at Chittagong Press Club yesterday afternoon claimed that supporters of Musabia's youngest sister lodged around 10 “false cases” against the arrestee with different police stations.

Despite repeated attempts, this newspaper could not reach any of the two sisters over the phone for comment.

'NO SMS SENT'

Mitu “didn't receive” any text message on her mobile phone from her son's school, asking her to drop the kid at the school half an hour earlier than the regular timing on Sunday, police claimed yesterday.

Speaking at a press briefing at the CMP headquarters, Devdas Bhattacharya said although the phone was missing, they examined the message list of the phone number and became sure that no such message was sent.

The school authorities denied sending any such message.

Mitu along with her son used to go out of her house around 7:00am daily to catch a school bus at the GEC intersection. But on the fateful morning, she left the house earlier.

Bhattacharya said they were probing why the victim went out of her house earlier that day.

MICROBUS DRIVER GRILLED

Police said they were interrogating Jan-e Alam, the driver and owner of the microbus which was seen on CCTV footage following the assailants' motorbike, said the CMP official.

“The driver confessed that he witnessed the killing. We're also probing whether he was involved in the murder,” he added.

Law enforcers seized the vehicle from Bhatiari of Sitakunda upazila on Wednesday and detained Jan-e Alam for interrogation.

IGP VISITS SP IN DHAKA

AKM Shahidul Hoque, inspector general of police, yesterday visited the Banasree residence of SP Babul, said a release of Police Headquarters.

Condemning the killing, he assured the SP of bringing the perpetrators of the crime to justice soon.

ACCUSED ON FRESH REMAND

A Natore court yesterday placed Sabuj Hossain, tenant of slain Christian trader Sunil Gomez, on three-day fresh remand, reports our correspondent.

Sabuj, 32, was picked up by police on June 5 in connection with the murder.

Earlier on Tuesday, the same court placed him on two-day remand.

Unidentified assailants hacked the sixty-year-old trader to death at Bonpara Christian Palli in Baraigram upazila around noon on Sunday when he was alone in his shop.