HC grants bail to ex-SP Babul Akhter in wife's murder case

The High Court (HC) today granted ad-interim bail to former Police Super (SP) Babul Akhter in a case filed over the murder of his wife Mahmuda Khan Mitu.

A High Court bench comprising Justice Md Atowar Rahman and Justice Ali Reza granted the bail petition moved by Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir.

Advocate Manir told the journalists that after the bail order, there is no legal bar in releasing Babul Akhter from the jail.

The lawyer said the court granted the ad-interim bail of Babul Akhter considering his detention in jail for three years and seven months and issued a rule asking to know why he would not be given permanent bail in the case. 

There has been no prosecution witness in the trial court in connection with the case since 1 July, he said.

Those who gave depositions as prosecution witnesses in this case have already applied to withdraw their statements, he said adding that they also told the court that they were forced to give the depositions before the court in fear of the then chief of Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) Banaz Kumar Majumder.

Advocate Shishier Manir said that Babul Akhter was in Dhaka on the day of the killing of Mitu and he was sent to Chattogram by helicopter on an emergency basis. Besides, the prosecution is still unaware of the whereabouts of Musa, one of the prime accused the Lawyer added.

Babul Akhter earlier moved a bail petition before the court of Third Additional District Judge, Chattogram but the court on August 18 rejected the bail petition. As a result, Babul Akhter moved the bail petition before the High Court.

Mahmuda Akhter Mitu, the wife of Babul Akhter, was stabbed and shot dead by unidentified miscreants at O R Nizam Road in Chattogram city on the morning of 5 June 2016, while she was heading for her son's school. 

Later, Babul Akhter filed a murder case with the Panchlaish Police Station in this connection.

The PBI took up the charge of the investigation into the case and they found the involvement of Babul Akhter in the killing of his wife. 

Subsequently, the PBI submitted a final report of the case filed by Babul Akhter and Mitu's father Mosharaf Hossain, also a former police inspector, lodged a case accusing Babul Akhter as the prime accused of the murder.

PBI arrested Babul Akhter and sent him to jail through court.

Meanwhile, the lawyer of Babul Akhter on October 14 that year submitted a non-acceptance (Na-razi) petition to the court against the final report of PBI. 

Following the petition, the court ordered further investigation into the case rejecting the final report and non-acceptance petition. 

Both cases were investigated by the PBI. Following a court order, police gave a final report on the case by the father of Mitu on 25 January 2022. 

The PBI on 13 September 2022 submitted charge sheet of the case accusing seven persons including Babul Akhter.

The Third Additional District and Sessions Judge Court on March 13 last year framed charges against seven persons including Babul Akhter and started the trial of the case.