Ex-SP Babul acknowledges wife murder suspect Musa as his source, police say

Babul Akter, a former superintendent of police who was arrested over the daylight murder of his wife Mahmuda Akter Mitu, has finally acknowledged key suspect Kamrul Islam Shikdar Musa as his source, the investigator of the case says.

Babul answered a number of questions during a five-day remand, said Santosh Kumar Chakma, an inspector at the Police Bureau of Investigation.

Mitu was hacked and shot dead near the GEC Intersection in Chattogram on the morning of Jun 5, 2016, while she was taking her son to school.

It happened a few days after Babul had joined the police headquarters in Dhaka, following promotion and transfer.

Police had identified multiple people from the CCTV footage of the scene. They included Musa, who had worked as Babul’s source. At that time, Babul denied that he had known Musa.

After the killing of his wife, Babul himself filed a murder case against unknown suspects at the port city’s Panchlaish Police Station.

It had initially been suspected that Babul’s actions as a police officer against militants led to the murder of Mitu, but the investigation had a dramatic twist after her family pointed the finger at Babul.

While investigating the case filed by Babul, the PBI found evidence directly linking him to the murder of his wife and submitted the final report. Mitu’s father Mosharraf Hossain filed a new case against Babul.

On May 12, a Chattogram court granted the police five days to grill Babul in custody.

“Babul answered a number of questions, but he dodged some,” Inspector Santosh said, declining to reveal further details for the sake of the investigation.

A PBI official said Babul had not initially cooperated during the interrogation and kept on saying that the police should investigate and find the truth.

He was produced in court on Monday after the remand. Chattogram Metropolitan Magistrate Sarwar Jahan ordered him into jail.

Babul was asked to give a confessional statement under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which could be used as evidence in trial.

But he declined to admit to planning and ordering the murder of his wife, said Kazi Sahabuddin Ahmed, an assistant commissioner with Chattogram Metropolitan Police.

Babul appeared dejected on his way out of the judge’s room. His attempts to speak out were thwarted by the police surrounding him at that time as he was carried away by a prison van under tight security.

Mosharraf alleged Babul’s affair with a woman led to the death of Mitu. The police said they were looking into the allegation.

Musa, too, has been named in the new case filed by Mosharraf, but he is absconding.

Musa’s wife Panna Akhter claimed that the police had picked him up five years ago after he had been released on bail in the case filed by Babul. But the police said they were still looking for Musa.