Staff Reporter:
The investigation officer of the case filed over the murder of Ishayat Shahriar Opratim, only child of Cumilla University Bangla Department Associate Professor Nahida Begum, has been changed.
An inspector-ranked police officer will now investigate the case, Additional Superintendent of Police Md Lutfur Rahman confirmed on Friday night.
According to a district police source, Sub-Inspector Saiful Islam of Cumilla Sadar Dakshin Model Police Station initially took charge of the investigation. He said on Friday evening that Inspector (Investigation) Rajib Ahmed of the same police station would now investigate the case.
“The case documents are expected to be handed over within the next couple of days,” he added.
Contacted, Rajib Ahmed said an order had been issued by the police superintendent’s office to change the investigation officer.
“The investigation will begin after we receive the documents. I hope to complete the investigation soon and submit the charge sheet before the court at the earliest,” he said.
Opratim went missing from the Kotbari area of Cumilla on the afternoon of 18 September after leaving home to take photographs with an iPhone.
Police recovered his body from a jungle in the Sananda area of Lalmai Hills the following day.
Police said they had so far arrested Saiful Islam Tuhin, 19, Mozammel Hossain Fahad, 15, and Md Kamrul Hasan, 16, for direct involvement in the murder, while Md Siam, 19, was arrested on suspicion of involvement.
Police said three of the four arrested suspects, excluding Siam, gave confessional statements before a Cumilla court on 19 September.
As Fahad and Kamrul are minors, they were sent to the Gazipur Child Development Centre by a court order on Monday. The other two suspects are currently being held at Cumilla Central Jail.
