Sagar-Runi murder case: HC drops hearing on Tanvir’s petition

A High Court bench today dropped from its hearing list a petition filed by Tanvir Rahman, seeking cancellation of the trial proceeding against him in journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi murder case.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order as Deputy Attorney General Amit Talukdar raised questions on the jurisdiction of this bench over hearing the matter.

Amit told the court that the bench has jurisdiction over dealing with the writ petition, but the petition of Tanvir involves criminal jurisdiction.

Tanvir's lawyer Advocate Fawzia Karim Firoze opposed the deputy attorney general's argument, saying that the bench can hear this matter as it has earlier passed an order on this issue.

The HC bench also said it has jurisdiction to hear the petition of Tanvir, but dropped the petition as the DAG raised questions on its jurisdiction.

During the proceeding, the HC bench expressed dissatisfaction as some media have published the Rapid Action Battalion's probe report on the Sagar-Runi murder case before it was submitted to the HC.

DAG Amit told the court that he did not give the probe report to the newsmen and he does not know how media got a hand of the report.

The HC bench said it did not see any fault on the part of the media, as the duty of newsmen is to pursue news.

Somehow, the probe report reached newsmen and they did their job, the HC bench added.

Advocate Fawzia told reporters that she will apply to the chief justice so that he instructs the HC bench to hear Tanvir's petition.

On March 2, RAB handed over a report on the progress of the investigation into the case to the attorney general's office, for placing it to the HC.

DAG Amit today submitted the updated report to the HC bench.

Tanvir, a family friend of the murdered couple, had been arrested in connection with the murder.

Later, he got out of jail on bail.

Tanvir, an official of an English medium school in Dhaka, earlier submitted the petition to the HC to scrap trial proceedings against him in the case.