No case, probe headway

Liton Haider

and

Abu Sufian Tipu

bdnews24.com

Dhaka, Feb 12 (bdnews24.com) — No case has been filed until Sunday noon over the killings of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Nahar Runi even 30 hours after their murder came to light early on Saturday.

Police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) detectives are investigating the twin murders but have not arrested any suspects.

Asked about the investigation proceedings, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police OC Zakir Hossain Mollah on Sunday told bdnews24.com: "Both of their families have been asked to file cases. But no one has contacted us until noon."

Detective Branch (DB) (north) deputy commissioner Mahbubur Rahman told bdnews24.com that they were "trying heart and soul" to solve the murder mystery.

"But there have been no progress until now," the Dhaka Metropolitan Police official added.

ATN Bangla senior reporter Runi and her husband Golam Mustofa Sarowar, alias Sagar Sarowar, who was news editor with Maasranga Television, were murdered sometime in the early hours at their rented flat in west Rajabazar in the capital.

The couple's only 5-year-old child Mahin Sarowar Megh found his parents dead in their bedroom at 7am on Saturday.

Home minister Shahara Khatun had ordered police and other law-enforcing agencies to arrest those responsible within 48 hours while visiting the crime scene.

OC Zakir said, "We have spoken with both the families on Sunday. We are trying to collect information on friends of Sagar and Runi. We are also working on their mobile phones."

Responding to a query, he said, "The time has not come yet to say anything clearly on why they were murdered and who killed them."

RAB's media wing director M Sohail told bdnews24.com: "More than one teams are investigating the matter. But nothing has been found that is worth a mention."

DMP joint commissioner Maruf Hasan, Tejgaon zone deputy commissioner Imam Hassan and DB deputy commissioner Mahbubur visited the crime scene earlier in the day.

Maruf later told bdnews24.com: "Inquiry is underway. We are trying to arrest those responsible. We hope to arrest them within a short time and will present them in court."

Home minister Shahara also had similar things to tell reporters after a meeting at the Secretariat at noon.

"The investigation into journalist couple killing has already begun. The mastermind of the incident will be arrested within 48 hours at any rates. I hope they will be caught [by then]."

Primarily, RAB detectives had said they suspected the assailants might have known the victims and the killing was pre-planned while forensic experts say that the wounds led them to suspect that the murder was the work of non-professional killers.

The couple were hacked to death. Sagar's body had marks of random slashing, 19 large wounds along with 20-25 small cuts, with knives and other sharp weapons while Runi had just two deep wounds in her stomach.

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