Sagar-Runi murder: Probe report delayed for 79th time

Court Correspondent :
A court in Dhaka on Thursday has fixed April 21 for the submission of the probe report of the murder case of journalist couple Sagar-Runi.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury’s court set the new date as the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) could not submit the probe report on the scheduled date.
There are a total of eight accused in the case including Runi’s friend Tanvir Rahman. The other accused are – Enam Ahmed alias Humayun Kabir, a security guard of their house, Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Mia, Mintu alias Bargira Mintu alias Masum Mintu, Kamrul Hasan Arun, Palash Rudra Paul and Abu Sayeed.
It is to be mentioned Masranga Television’s News Editor Golam Mustafa Sarwar alias Sagar Sarwar and ATN Bangla senior reporter Meherun Nahar Runa alias Meherun Runi were killed in their house in the capital’s West Rajabazar on 11 February 2012.
Later, Runi’s brother Nausher Alam Roman filed a murder case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.
At first, an SI of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station was the investigating officer of the case. Four days later, the investigation into the sensational murder case was handed over to the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Police (DB).
After more than two months of investigation, DB failed to unravel the mystery. Later, on the order of the High Court, the investigation of the murder case was handed over to the RAB on April 17 of the same year. RAB has been investigating the case since then.
Meanwhile, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court directed the RAB on 8 September 2020 to submit a report on the progress of the Sagar-Runi murder case. Khandaker Md. Shafiqul Alam, an investigating officer of the case and an Additional Superintendent of Police at RAB headquarters, submit a report on the progress on 5 October.
“I have been investigating the case since 7 July 2019,” he mentioned in the progress report. During the investigation, the former investigating officer arrested a total of eight accused, including doing ancillary work. Six of the arrested accused are currently in jail. The two are out on bail.
The case was sent to the Independent Forensic Service (IFS), USA with the permission of the court for DNA testing of the seized evidence for proper investigation.
The DNA test report states that the DNA of two unidentified men was found in a review of the previously sent evidence and the buccal swab of the arrested accused. Besides, contact was made with another US DNA lab, Parabon Snapshot, during the investigation as part of an effort to identify the unidentified men. The organization has the ability to produce images of criminals or involved people from DNA.
Efforts are underway to produce pictures of the people involved in the incident in coordination with the organization IFS.
Investigations into the case are still underway including efforts to gather evidence through DNA technology.