LGBT mag editor murder: Police drop mobile seizure from FIR

Police dropped from the first information report the seizure of a mobile phone from suspects while investigators said that they were tracing killers of LGBT magazine editor Xulhaz Mannan and his friend Khandaker Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy based on the phone.
Kalabagan police station sub-inspector Shamim Ahmed filed the first information report about the murders describing that his patrol team encountered the suspects during their escape and mentioned that they seized two pistols left by the suspects.
He also mentioned that his team chased the attackers and he opened fire, and a constable also used short-gun to nab the perpetrators but failed.  He mentioned that at least nine material evidences he seized from the Dolphiner Goli, where his team encountered the attackers.
He, however, did not mention the seizure of the mobile phone from a bag the police could take away from the suspects.
The first investigation officer, inspector KM Ashrafuddin, had admitted the seizure of the mobile phone set and said the phone was being used by investigators to trace the perpetrators.
Law minister Anisul Haq, the home minister, Asaduzzaman Khan and Dhaka Metropolitan Police commission Asaduzzaman Miah, among others, also admitted the seizure of mobile phone set and claimed major progress in the investigation.
When asked, sub-inspector Shamim could not recall whether the seizure of the mobile phone was mentioned in the first information report but said, ‘If it is not mentioned, the FIR can be corrected.’
He said he could not notice the matter since he was on bed rest since then.
Xulhaz, a USAID official who had also worked as protocol officer for US ambassador in Dhaka, and Mahbub, also theatre group Lokanatya Dal member, were hacked to death by unidentified assailants at Xulhaz’s apartment at Kalabagan in Dhaka on April 25.
Detective Branch investigators claimed that they made major progress in the investigation and were interrogating a number of youths based on CCTV footage.
Detective Branch additional deputy commissioner Razib Al Masud, however, said, ‘We have interrogated two youths of the neighbourhood but nothing found suspicious.’

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net