2 suspects remanded, IO changed over death of police officer’s wife

The Chittagong Metropolitan Police authorities changed the investigation officer of a case filed following the shoot-to-death of counter-militancy police officer Babul Akhter’s wife Mahmuda Khanam Mitu, for the IO’s ‘poor performance.’
The metropolitan magistrate court, Harun Ur Rashid, in Chittagong, meanwhile, remanded on Sunday two persons— Abu Nasar Gunnu, 45, and Md Shah Zaman, 28—for seven-day each for their ‘suspicious’ role in the killing.
Abu Nasar was arrested at a shrine of Hathazari upazila on June 8 while Shah Zaman was arrested on Saturday at the port city’s Bayezid area.
During the remand hearing, the public prosecutor, Fakhruddin Chowdhury, told the court that it was necessary to interrogate the suspects for further investigation and finding out other killers.
He said police found– in their primary investigation– that Nasar was present on the spot during the murder and Zaman was spotted on CCTV footage.
Nasar’s counsel Shawkat Hossain said the immediate past investigation officer Kazi Rakib Uddin claimed that Nasar was identified by his mobile phone call list. But he failed to provide documents in support of his claims, Hossain said.
He said police simply caught Nasar to divert the real motive of the murder.
Another suspect, Shah Zaman was not represented by any lawyer.
After hearing, the court granted seven-day remand each for interrogation.
On Saturday night, the CMP authorities changed the first investigation officer inspector Kazi Rakib Uddin of detective branch and appointed assistant commissioner Md Kamruzzaman of DB, said the DB’s deputy commissioner, Muktar Ahmed.
The officials said Kazi Rakib Uddin failed to present proper documents before a Chittagong court on June 9 while he produced the suspect, Abu Nasar, in the metropolitan court, seeking remand.
‘The change was made to speed up the investigation into the case,’ said Muktar.
Three suspected militants on a motorbike stormed into GEC intersection in Chittagong city and stabbed and shot dead Mahmuda on the spot on Sunday morning. At that time Babul was in Dhaka to report to the police headquarters.
Babul Akhter filed a murder case with Panchlaish police on Monday. The case was transferred to the Detective Branch.
Visiting Chittagong, inspector general of police AKM Shahidul Hoque on Sunday said police are not yet sure whether there was any militancy link to the killing of his colleague’s wife.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net