Sagar Biswas :
Like looking for a needle in a haystack, the CID reportedly dug through a vast area inside the Mainamati Cantonment for the last few days, where Sohagi Jahan Tonu, 19, a second year History student of Victoria College, was killed by unidentified assailants.
Not only that, the investigators of CID [Criminal Investigation Department] also have grilled over a dozen people, including son of senior army official, in connection with the sensational murder. But no significant progress was made till the date though fifteen days have already been elapsed after the recovery of bloodstained body of Tonu, daughter of Yar Hossain, an employee of Cantonment, at a bush adjacent to their home, on the night of March 20.
When contacted, Special Super of CID [Comilla] Dr Nazmul Karim Khan told The New Nation Monday night: “In fact, we’re still in the dark. We’re searching a needle to get a clue. Investigators are interviewing the suspects. Interrogation is yet not started. We can’t tell you more just this moment.”
A source close to the investigators said that CID officials grilled the army officer’s son named as Pear Ahmed, a student of BBA first Semester at a private university, at the CID office in Comilla on Sunday. Later, the CID team, comprising officials of Dhaka and Comilla offices, took the suspect [Pear] to the spot at Cantonment.
According to information available, Tonu and Pear almost of same ages were grown up in the cantonment area and they had a close link. Pear’s number was identified after verifying call list of Tonu’s cell phone.
At the same time, the CID investigators have also quizzed five persons who were present during the recovery of Tonu’s body and those took her to hospital. Special Super of CID Abdul Kahar Akhand, who is monitoring the investigation, was present at that time.
Apart from them, the CID team also Interviewed a Sergeant and a soldier on suspicion of involvement in the murder. Tonu was engaged in tuition in their houses, the source said.
“Yes we have interviewed son of a Honourary Lieutenant Pear Ahmed, among others. We have detained none so far. We are verifying their statements by check and cross-check method,” Special Super of CID [Comilla] Dr Nazmul Karim Khan said.
“Tonu was used to write diary regularly. The investigators have seized the diary along with other evidences from her house. There may be a vital clue in the diary if it is examined properly,” an investigating official said.
Meanwhile, the forensic experts of Comilla Medical College have not found any sign of ‘rape’ in Tonu’s body after completion of first post mortem. And strangely, the physicians of Forensic Department did not mention ‘specific reasons’ behind the victim’s death in the post mortem report.
“We didn’t find any sign of rape in victim’s body. The reasons behind the death also could not be mentioned in the autopsy report…. We found two injury marks in the body, but those were not fair enough to know reasons for the death,” KP Saha, head of Forensic Department of Comilla Medical College, said on Monday.
Dr Saha said, “We also didn’t get any sign of poisoning in the victim’s body in viscera test that was conducted in Chittagong Medical College and Hospital.”
However, the second spell of post mortem which is now undergoing being directed by court five days ago is yet not completed. Besides, the evidences [parts of kidney, liver and stomach] for the second viscera test have been sent to CID chemical laboratory in Chittagong under heavy protection, sources said.
“In preliminary investigation it was found that Tonu might be strangulated to death. But we are not sure whether she was raped before the killing, or not. In fact, the second autopsy is going on to get the real picture,” Shah Abid Hossain, Superintendent of Police in Comilla, said.
Differing with first autopsy report, Special Super of CID [Comilla] Dr Nazmul Karim Khan further said, “It is hard to believe that the victim was not raped. We suspect, the criminals had used protection to hide their activities.”
Meanwhile, the slow-motion investigation into the killing has been fuelling discontent among the general people, especially the students; those are demanding trial of killers by staging demonstrations and observing strikes in educational institutions across the country.
