PBI solves Turag river body mystery, 4 arrested

Police have solved the mystery surrounding the body of an unidentified man recovered from the Turag River in the capital’s Dakshinkhan area, identifying the victim as Lokman Sardar, according to the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI).

The victim was killed after falling prey to a honeytrap, and he was murdered as the perpetrators failed to receive their demanded ransom, PBI said.

Four people have been arrested in connection with the incident. They are SM Salman, Adib Islam, Jannatul Ferdous Mim, and Sabuj Mia.

PBI said Lokman Sardar lived in the Kuril area of the capital and worked as an Uber private car driver.

On May 30, he left home in the afternoon in search of passengers but did not return at night.

His family began searching for him, and his wife, Farzana Akter, later filed a case at Dakshinkhan Police Station after failing to locate him.

On June 1, police recovered a body wrapped in a plastic sack floating in the Turag River at Fayadabad Rajabari area of Dakshinkhan.

The inquest report indicated that the victim had been brutally tortured before being killed and dumped into the river.

The Police Bureau of Investigation Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) later launched a shadow investigation into the case.

Findings revealed that Lokman was lured from Pakhir Bazar in Tongi West Police Station area to Honda Road by Jannatul Ferdous Mim, who was introduced as the wife of accused SM Salman.

There, according to a pre-planned scheme, Salman, Adib, Rakib, Sabuj Mia and several unidentified individuals beat Lokman and demanded Tk 2 lakh as ransom.

He later managed to send Tk 10,000 through mobile financial services borrowed from a friend and handed it over to the kidnappers.