Slain youth Refat’s wife Minny remanded for five days

Police have been given five days to grill Ayesha Siddika Minny over her involvement in the daylight murder of her husband Refat Shorif in Barguna.

Barguna Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 17 July 2019, 10:50 AM
Updated : 17 July 2019, 10:59 AM

Judge Md Sirajul Islam Gazi of Barguna’s Senior Judicial Magistrate Court gave the order on Wednesday.

Police produced Minny before the court and had sought a 7-day remand for questioning, said Barguna Police Inspector Humayun Kabir, investigating officer of the case.

Minny was arrested on Tuesday and interrogated at the SP’s office throughout the day as ‘initial evidence’ pointed to her involvement in the much-publicised murder of Refat, according to Barguna Superintendent of Police Maruf Hossain.

A video of Minny trying to save her husband from the assailants who hacked Refat after beating him up on June 26 on College Road in the town went viral on social media, sending the internet into meltdown.

Refat’s father Dulal Shorif accused 12 people in a case over the murder.

Minny was named as the key witness.

The case took a different turn after Dulal pointed the finger at Minny two days ago.

After her father-in-law expressed his suspicion over her alleged involvement in the murder, she said he was making “imaginary claims on being influenced by conspirators”.

She also said the “Bond 007” group led by key murder suspect Sabbir Ahmed Nayon alias Nayon Bond, who was killed in a so-called gunfight with police on July 2, is “very powerful” and “trying to change the course of investigation to save themselves”.

A day after Dulal’s press conference where he accused Minny, a group of people demonstrated outside the Barguna Press Club demanding her arrest.

Local MP Dhirendra Debnath Shambhu’s son Sunam Debnath, who is also Baguna District Awami League’s science and technology affairs secretary, was present among the demonstrators.

Sunam is said to have been backing Nayon, the key suspect – an accusation the MP’s son denies.

Two other key suspects – brothers Rifat Forazi and Rishan Forazi – are relatives of local Awami League leader and Barguna district council chairman Delwar Hossain. He has also denied supporting the duo.

Rifat is among 13 arrested in the case while Rishan is still on the run.

Ten of the accused have made confessional statements in court while three others are being grilled in police custody.

Minny, a first-year student of Barguna Government Degree College, said she could identify Nayon, Rifat and Rishan among the lead assailants.

She alleged Nayon sexually harassed her before she married Refat two months before the murder.

Refat’s father Dulal, however, said she had been married to Nayon as well but had been hiding it.

Minny protested Dulal’s statement and denied having married Nayon, but said she was forced into signing a marriage document.