Release those arrested in connection with the murder case, Sagor's mother fumes
The investigation of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi murder case is underway said the elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) for the 71 times in last eight years. A Dhaka court on Monday again asked RAB to submit probe report of the case by March 23.
With Monday's date, the investigation officer has so far taken 71 dates to complete the investigation.
Saleha Munir, mother of slain journalist Sagar Sarowar, said eight suspects who were arrested at different times in another murder case should be released on bail. They were simply normal thieves and RAB could neither identify the killers nor establish the motive, she added.
The case has been buried in a preplanned manner," she said.
"The law enforcement agencies have been able to deal with other sensational incidents. Why are they failing in this case? It seems to
me that I will not see the killers brought to book before my death," she lamented.
In the case, six suspects in Dr Narayan Chandra Nitai murder case were shown arrested in the Sagar-Runi murder case as the physician was killed in a similar style.
The elite force also held two other persons. However, no one among the arrested confessed to having been involved in the murder.
She said those arrested in connection with her son and daughter-in-law's murder should be released.
The couple's only child Mahir Sarowar Megh, who was only five years old at the time, was in the apartment when his parents were murdered.
The High Court last year observed that success of RAB will be faded to some extent if it cannot unearth the motive behind the murder of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi and cannot arrest the real offenders to put them on trial.
"It is undoubtedly a matter of regret and disappointment that the motive behind the murder was not unearthed and the offenders could not be identified and arrested through investigation and if they cannot be put on trial although a long period after the incident has passed," it observed.
The HC Bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came up with the observation while delivering the verdict on a petition filed by accused Tanvir Rahman, who is now out on bail.
Investigators failed to recover two laptops of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi who were killed in their bedroom on February 11 in 2012 in the capital.
Immediately after the incident, the then Home Minister Sahara Khatun said the killers would be arrested within 48 hours. Police officials also claimed to have made "significant progress" in the investigation at the time. The murder triggered widespread outrage in the journalist community.
Runi's brother Nowsher Alam Roman filed a murder case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station. Within a couple of days Detective Branch (DB) of police took charge of the investigation.
Shahara Khatun, while visiting the residence of the slain journalists, had thundered that the killers would be identified and arrested within 48 hours. On February 13 in 2012, the then Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmood Khandker had claimed 'remarkable' progress in the probe, promising the nation 'good news' soon. But all their remarks were proved fruitless. Some 62 days later DB confessed in the court that they couldn't make much progress.
Then the court instructed RAB, the elite crime-bursting force of the country, to take over the case. Being an agency responsible for hunting down and arresting perpetrators RAB is conducting investigation but they have not been able to get to the bottom of this case yet.
The double murder incident had triggered public outcry. Police, detectives, and political bigwigs turned up at the couple's residence and assured their families of justice through a speedy trial.
