Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Wednesday dropped a petition from its cause-list which was filed by a suspect of the journalist couple Sagar-Runi murder case, Tanveer Rahman, seeking quash of the case in his part.
The High Court Bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after the State counsel had raised question about the jurisdiction of the bench to hold hearing of a criminal case.
In the ruling, the court said, “The state counsel raised question over the jurisdiction of the High Court Bench. We are aware of our jurisdiction. As the rule is pending, there is no jurisdictional bar to hold hearing on the case as per our consideration. However, since the state counsel has questioned the jurisdiction of the court, we are not passing any order on the case and dropping it from the cause-list.”
At the starting of the hearing on Wednesday, deputy attorney general Amit Talukder submitted a RAB prepared report citing the latest situation of the probe into the case and the involvement of suspect Tanveer Rahman with it.
Then, he raised question over the jurisdiction of the High Court Bench to hold hearing on the case as the Bench is a writ bench and it had no jurisdiction to hear and pass order over a criminal matter.
Opposing him, advocate Fawzia Karim Firoze who appeared in the court for Tanveer Rahman said, the court had the jurisdiction to hear and pass order on the case. At that time she showed the jurisdiction mentioned in the cause-list.
After hearing the parties, the court passed the order.
In a reaction, advocate Fawzia Karim Firoze said that she would pray to the Chief Justice so that the case might be heard in that court.
Earlier on November 14, 2019, the same High Court Bench with criminal jurisdiction directed the investigation officer to submit a report in the court citing the latest situation of the probe into the murder and the involvement of suspect Tanveer Rahman in the case.
The court fixed March 4, 2020, for passing further order on the matter. But, in the meantime the bench’s jurisdiction has been changed.
Meanwhile, during hearing, the court expressed its anger questioning about how the probe report was published in the media before placing it in the court.
The High Court has raised questions about how the progress report was published in the media before the court’s presentation. Then the deputy attorney general replied that he did not supply it to media.
The court, however, said it was the responsibility of the journalists to run behind the news. “They will rush to collect the news. We don’t see any fault of the journalists,” added the court.
Sagar Sarowar, News Editor of private TV station Maasranga, and his wife Meherun Runi, senior reporter of another channel ATN Bangla, had been killed at their rented flat in the capital’s West Rajabazar on February 11 in 2012.
Their only son Mahir Sarowar Megh, then 5, was at home at that time.
Following the murder, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police had started an investigation into the case filed in this connection.
Later, the case was shifted to DB police. However, on April 18, 2012, the High Court, in an order, shifted the case to RAB for investigation as the former had expressed its inability to resolve the case.
At least eight people including Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Miah, Masum Mintu, Kamrul Hasan alias Arun, Abu Sayeed, two security guards of the couple’s house Palash Rudra Paul and Enamul Hoque and the couple’s “family friend” Tanveer Rahman had been arrested, but Tanveer later freed on bail.
The High Court on Wednesday dropped a petition from its cause-list which was filed by a suspect of the journalist couple Sagar-Runi murder case, Tanveer Rahman, seeking quash of the case in his part.
The High Court Bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after the State counsel had raised question about the jurisdiction of the bench to hold hearing of a criminal case.
In the ruling, the court said, “The state counsel raised question over the jurisdiction of the High Court Bench. We are aware of our jurisdiction. As the rule is pending, there is no jurisdictional bar to hold hearing on the case as per our consideration. However, since the state counsel has questioned the jurisdiction of the court, we are not passing any order on the case and dropping it from the cause-list.”
At the starting of the hearing on Wednesday, deputy attorney general Amit Talukder submitted a RAB prepared report citing the latest situation of the probe into the case and the involvement of suspect Tanveer Rahman with it.
Then, he raised question over the jurisdiction of the High Court Bench to hold hearing on the case as the Bench is a writ bench and it had no jurisdiction to hear and pass order over a criminal matter.
Opposing him, advocate Fawzia Karim Firoze who appeared in the court for Tanveer Rahman said, the court had the jurisdiction to hear and pass order on the case. At that time she showed the jurisdiction mentioned in the cause-list.
After hearing the parties, the court passed the order.
In a reaction, advocate Fawzia Karim Firoze said that she would pray to the Chief Justice so that the case might be heard in that court.
Earlier on November 14, 2019, the same High Court Bench with criminal jurisdiction directed the investigation officer to submit a report in the court citing the latest situation of the probe into the murder and the involvement of suspect Tanveer Rahman in the case.
The court fixed March 4, 2020, for passing further order on the matter. But, in the meantime the bench’s jurisdiction has been changed.
Meanwhile, during hearing, the court expressed its anger questioning about how the probe report was published in the media before placing it in the court.
The High Court has raised questions about how the progress report was published in the media before the court’s presentation. Then the deputy attorney general replied that he did not supply it to media.
The court, however, said it was the responsibility of the journalists to run behind the news. “They will rush to collect the news. We don’t see any fault of the journalists,” added the court.
Sagar Sarowar, News Editor of private TV station Maasranga, and his wife Meherun Runi, senior reporter of another channel ATN Bangla, had been killed at their rented flat in the capital’s West Rajabazar on February 11 in 2012.
Their only son Mahir Sarowar Megh, then 5, was at home at that time.
Following the murder, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police had started an investigation into the case filed in this connection.
Later, the case was shifted to DB police. However, on April 18, 2012, the High Court, in an order, shifted the case to RAB for investigation as the former had expressed its inability to resolve the case.
At least eight people including Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Miah, Masum Mintu, Kamrul Hasan alias Arun, Abu Sayeed, two security guards of the couple’s house Palash Rudra Paul and Enamul Hoque and the couple’s “family friend” Tanveer Rahman had been arrested, but Tanveer later freed on bail.
