The High Court today refused to grant bail to detained accused Motaleb Mia Wasim in a case filed over the gruesome murder of Mahmuda Khanam Mitu, wife of former superintendent of police (SP) of Chattogram Babul Akter, in June, 2016.

Motaleb was actively involved in the murder, according to the progress report on the investigation, the HC said.

The court wants the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) to complete investigation into the case and submit the charge sheet before the trial court soon.

During hearing of Motaleb's bail petition, the HC said it will not give any time limit to the investigation officer at this stage for completing the investigation.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman kept the bail petition stand over (waiting for hearing) for three months and kept the progress report on investigation into its record.

The bench set May 6 for further hearing on the bail petition and asked the PBI to submit further progress report of the investigation to it by this time.

Earlier in the day, Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Sarwar Hossain Bappi placed a report on the progress of investigation into the murder case before the bench.

He read out a part of the progress report before the bench, saying that Motaleb has confessed to his involvement in the murder.

The PBI is at the final stage of the probe and it needs some time to submit the charge sheet of the case to the trial court concerned, he said citing the progress report.

He said police is trying to arrest two other fugitive accused of the case.

DAG Sarwar Hossain Bappi prayed to the HC to reject the bail petition of Motaleb.

Motaleb's lawyer Sankar Prasad Dey told the HC bench that one Musa had taken away a pistol from Motaleb, and shot the victim.

Later on, Musa was killed in a "crossfire", he said.

On June 5, 2016, Mitu was stabbed and shot dead when she was walking her son to his school bus stop at port city's GEC intersection. After the murder, her husband Babul Akter filed a case against three unidentified men with Panchlaish Police Station.