HC orders to end Sagar-Runi murder probe in 6 months

The High Court (HC) has ordered the high-power taskforce to complete the long-pending investigation into the murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi within six months.

The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Mohammad Mahbub Ul Islam passed the order after releasing a full-fledged verdict on the formation of a six-member high-powered task force to probe the double murders.

On September 30, the HC ordered the formation of the high-power task force to investigate the case that was pending for 12 years.

The court also directed the Home Ministry to execute the decision after removing the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from the investigation as the elite force had repeatedly been failing to submit the probe report.

Earlier, the submission date of the probe report on the double murders has been deferred for the 112th time till October 15.

Sagar, news editor of private TV station Maasranga and his wife Runi, senior reporter of another private TV channel, ATN Bangla, were brutally murdered at their rented apartment in Dhaka’s West Rajabazar area on February 11, 2012.

Nousher Ali Roman, brother of Runi, filed a case at Sher-e-Bangla police station the following day.

Law enforcement officials have so far arrested eight people in connection with the double murder.

They are Tanvir, Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Mia, Abu Syed, Mintu alias Baggira Mintu alias Masum Mintu, Quamrul Hasan alias Arun, security guard Enam Ahmed alias Humayun Kabir and Palash Rudra Pal.