Find out actor Sohel Chowdhury’s missing murder case files: HC

The High Court today directed the authorities concerned to immediately take necessary steps to find out the documents of actor Sohel Chowdhury murder case, as those are reportedly missing from this court and the trial court.

In response to a writ petition, the court also issued a rule asking the respondents to explain why missing the records of this sensational murder case should not be declared unlawful.

Secretaries at the ministries of law and home affairs and Supreme Court registrar general and HC registrar have been made respondents to the order and rule, writ petitioner and lawyer M Abdullah Al Harun Russel told The Daily Star.

He said the HC passed the order so that the trial proceedings of the long-pending murder case can resume at the court.

The bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman came up with the order, following the petition recently filed as public interest litigation by Abdullah Al Harun Russel seeking necessary directives.

Abdullah Al Harun Russel said film actor Sohel Chowdhury was shot dead in front of Trumps Club at Abedin Tower in Banani on December 18, 1998.

His brother, Touhidul Islam Chowdhury, filed the murder case at Gulshan Police Station the same day.

Following a petition filed by an accused, the HC in 2014 had stayed the trial proceedings of the case and issued a rule.

However, the HC in 2015 vacated the stay order and cleared the way for the trial court to run the trial proceedings of the case.

But, the copy of the HC verdict was reportedly not communicated to the trial court and its trial proceedings were did not resume.

Besides, the case documents are reportedly missing from the trial court, which is unfortunate, the lawyer added.