Questions arise over death of schoolgirl
Police are trying to find out answers of several questions over the mysterious death of Tasfia Amin, a ninth grader of Sunshine Grammar School and College in Chittagong, whose body was recovered from the Naval Road area of Patenga on Wednesday morning.
Adnan Mirza, 16, a friend of Tasfia was detained on Wednesday night for interrogation, while victim's father Md Amin filed a murder case accusing six persons – including Adnan – with Patenga police station.
Police have shown Adnan arrested in the case, and are also probing into the role of other accused in the incident, Arefin Juwel, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) (Port Zone) told the Daily Star.
The court of 5th Additional Metropolitan Session Judge and Juvenile court Jannatul Ferdaous sent Adnan to jail in the case, after he was produced before it with a 10-day remand prayer, said Assistant Commissioner (AC) (Prosecution) Kazi Shahbuddin of CMP.
Adnan is also a ninth grader at the Elementary School in the city. The other accused are Sohail, 16, Sowkot Miraz, 16, Asif Mizan, 23, Imtiaj Sultan Ekram, 24, Firoj, 30.
According to police, Tasfia went missing on Tuesday after she left her house to meet Adnan. Her body was later found on the concrete block of Karnaphuli River at Naval Road area the next day, with multiple injury marks on her knees and forehead.
“Adnan earlier studied at Sunshine Grammar School and college and later shifted to Elementary School. Adnan developed relationship with Tasfia through Facebook five months ago,” ADC Arefin Juwel told the Daily Star.
“After leaving her residence on Shab-e-Barat (Tuesday), Tasfia met Adnan met at CRB area in the evening, and went to Greedy Guts restaurant located at Aziz Stadium. The duo then went to Aftan restaurant in Sholoshahar area, from where they again went to China Grill restaurant at Gol Pahar area in the city,” said the ADC.
“During primary interrogation, Adnan told police that after eating they came out from the restaurant and helped Tasfia to get on CNG-auto rickshaw for her residence,” Juwel said.
“Police have collected the CCTV footage of the restaurant and verified the incident, but are yet to identify the auto rickshaw which carried Tasfia,” said the ADC.
This correspondent received CCTV footage of China Grill restaurant where Tafia was seen wearing a long gown along with Adnan. However, her body was found wearing a top and skirt.
Apart from that, her mobile phone was found missing after the incident, said police.
“As Tuesday was Shab-e-Barat, local shops in Patenga area were closed. We talked to locals where three local youths who were in the area saw a girl sitting there alone at around 10:00pm,” said the ADC.
Talking to The Daily Star, the victim's father Md Amin said “After Tasfia did not return home on Tuesday night, I talked to Adnan that night where he admitted that he met my daughter.” He added that Adnan accompanied him in looking for Tasfia until midnight.
“Mizan (one of the accused) on came with two others on a bike at midnight and tactfully took Adnan away when we were coming to Panchliash Police Station,” said Md Amin.
Assistant Commissioner (AC) Jahedul Islam of Patenga-Karnaphuli Zone said Firoj, one of the accused, has an arms case against him. Police were conducting raid to arrest the other accused as well.
The autopsy of Tasfia was performed at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) morgue yesterday noon. Her body was taken to her native house Teknaf upazila in Cox's Bazar for burial.
Meanwhile, a section of students of different school and colleges held a human chain and demanded exemplary punishment of the culprit for the murder of Tasfia.
The human chain was formed in front of Sunshine Grammar School and College at around 1:00pm. The institute's principal, Safia Gazi Rahman, and others addressed the human chain.
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