The High Court (HC) on Tuesday granted six more months to the government-formed taskforce to complete the investigation into the murders of journalists couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi and to submit its report before this court.
The HC bench comprising Justice Fatema Najib and Justice Sikder Mohammad Razi passed the order following a prayer moved by Additional Attorney General Md Arshadur Rauf seeking nine months' time for completing the inquiry.
He informed the court that several officials involved in investigating the murder have been changed or transferred over the years. That's why, additional time is required to complete the investigation.
Earlier on 30 September last year, the High Court ordered forming a taskforce of experienced personnel from various agencies to investigate the lawsuit. The HC also asked that the report be produced before a court within six months.
Meanwhile, this six months granted by the High Court has already passed. In this context, the state pleaded for nine more months mentioning that the investigation is ongoing and there is progress.
After the hearing, the court granted six more months and set 22 October as the next date.
The taskforce was ordered to submit the investigation report to the HC in six months without any fail.
Sagar, the news editor of private TV station Maasranga, and his wife, Runi, a senior reporter at ATN Bangla, were killed in their rented flat in West Rajabazar on February 11, 2012, while their five-year-old son, Mahir Sarowar Megh, was at home.
Runi's brother, Nawsher Alam Roman, filed a murder case with the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station without naming any suspects. After initial investigations by police and detectives, RAB took over the case on April 18, 2012.
After several media reports claimed that many Detective Branch (DB) files related to the murder had been burnt, the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) headquarters today issued a statement clarifying that there was no mention of any fire damaging case dockets in today's submission by the additional attorney general before the court.
