PBI finds evidence linking ex-SP Babul to his wife’s murder

The case over the murder of Mahmuda Khanam Mitu has taken a new turn as the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has claimed to have found evidence linking her husband, former superintendent of police Babul Akter, with the killing.

"A new case will be filed against Babul Akter by his father-in-law, accusing him of killing Mitu and then he will be shown arrested in the new case," PBI Chief DIG Banaj Kumar Majumder said in a briefing in Dhaka today.

"Two friends of Babul Akter gave statement under Section 164. Police will submit the final report of a previous case filed over the murder based on their statement," he added.

Banaj Kumar further said, "PBI called Babul last Thursday, but he said he would arrive at 9am on Monday. He could not answer some the questions appropriately. The issues have been reported to the IGP and the home minister. In this situation, there is no chance to step back."

Regarding Musa's role in the killing, the PBI chief said, "Musa was seen on the spot. He used to visit Babul Akhtar's residence regularly. Even, he used to buy daily essentials for Babu Akter's family."

Earlier on Monday, the PBI took Babul Akter in custody in Chattogram from his Dhaka residence for interrogation over the murder of his wife Mitu in 2016.

The case's Investigation Officer Santosh Kumar Chakma confirmed the matter to The Business Standard, saying Babul arrived in Chattogram from Dhaka on Monday for the interrogation.

Mitu was shot and stabbed on her way to pick up her son from a school bus on OR Nizam Road in Chattogram on 5 June 2016. Babul was in Dhaka at that time, and he later filed a murder case with the Panchlaish police station.

Police arrested several people named Anwar, Wasim, Abu Nasur Gunnu, Shah Zaman alias Robin, Saidul Alam Sikder alias Sakku, and Shahjahan. They also arrested alleged firearms supplier Ehteshamul Haque Bhola and his associate Md Monir.

On the night of 24 June 2016, Babul was interrogated for about 15 hours at the Dhaka Detective Police Office. On 7 September that year, the home ministry fired him.

The detective police had been investigating the case from the beginning. But, after nearly three years of investigation had produced no results, the court ordered the PBI to investigate the case in January last year.

Two suspected killers died in "gunfight"

The police investigation found that the main accused in the case, Kamrul Sikder Musa, was an informant of Babul Akter. 

Police said earlier Musa hired Motaleb Mia Wasim, Anwar Hossain,  Nurul Islam Rashed, Nur Nabi, Kalu and Md Shahjahan to kill Mitu while Ehteshamul Haque supplied the firearms to be used in the killing. 

Babul admitted during interrogation on 27 December 2017 at the CMP headquarters that Musa was his informant.

Police arrested several people including Motaleb Mia Wasim, Anwar Hossain, firearms supplier Ehteshamul Haque, Md Shahjahan and Musa's elder brother Saidul Sikder Shakur.

According to police, Wasim and Anwar gave confessional statements before a court, implicating seven people who had taken part in the killing mission directly.

The prime suspects Musa and Kalu are still on the run while Nurul Islam Rashed and Nur Nabi, whose names were mentioned in the confessional statements of Anwar and Wasim, were killed in "gunfights" with police in July 2016 in Chattogram.

On 6 October 2016, the CMP issued a bounty of Tk5 lakh for information on Musa.

Musa's wife Panna Akter repeatedly claimed that Musa had been picked up by a team of plainclothes police from the Bandar area on 22 June in 2016. Police rejected that claim.