A year on, no charge sheet yet

Mahmuda Khanam Mitu. File photo

Tomorrow is the first death anniversary of Mahmuda Khanam Mitu, wife of former superintendent of police Babul Akhter. 

Mitu was stabbed and shot dead when she was walking her son to his school bus stop at GEC intersection in Chittagong city on June 5 last year. Babul filed a case against three unidentified men with Panchlaish Police Station in connection with the murder.

But the charge sheet of the murder case sees no light in the last one year.

Police could not even unearth the motive behind the sensational murder. The investigation agency is yet to know the whereabouts of Kamrul Islam Shikder alias Musa -- the key person involved in the killing.

Detective Branch (DB) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) is now investigating the case. Its Additional Deputy Commissioner Md Kamruzzaman, also the IO in the case, yesterday said it is difficult to say when the charge sheet will be submitted.

Claiming that there is a significant progress in the investigation process, he, however, said they are trying to wrap up the probe as soon as possible.

“Most of the accused in the case have been arrested and identities of the killers who took part in the killing mission were identified. Two accused -- Wasim and Md Anwar -- gave their confessional statements before a court under 164 and revealed that Musa hired them.”

The IO said, “The motive of the case will be revealed if Musa is arrested.”

Kamruzzaman said, “A bounty on Musa was announced. Steps were also taken so that he could not leave the country.”

However, Musa's family repeatedly alleged that law enforcers had picked him up on June 22 last year.

The Mitu murder case took a new turn when police picked up Babul from his in-laws' house in the capital's Banashri area on June 24 last year. After 15 hour-interrogation, he was released. On September 6, home ministry through a circular stated that on the basis of the "application" submitted by Babul, he was relieved of his job.

On February 26 this year, Babul's father-in-law Mosharraf Hossain told the media that they were suspecting that Babul might have involvement in the killing. Babul, however, in a Facebook post brushed aside the allegation.

DB has so far arrested seven persons in connection with the murder case.

The arrestees are: Md Anwar, Md Motaleb Miya alias Md Wasim, Ehteshamul Haque alias Bhola, Md Shahjahan, Saidul Sikder Shakur -- Musa's elder brother, Md Shazaman alias Robin, and Abu Nasar Gunnu.

During investigation, police did not find the link of Robin and Gunnu with the murder while five others were shown arrested with specific charges in the murder case, said DB sources. Two other accused -- Nurun Nabi and Rashed -- were killed in a gunfight with police on July 5 last year.