HC drops writ petition on Tonu murder
The High Court (HC) yesterday dropped a writ petition that had been filed seeking its directive to constitute a judicial committee to probe the killing of Sohagi Jahan Tonu, who was found murdered in Comilla Cantonment area on March 20. A vacation bench of the HC, comprising Justice Naima Haider and Justice Razik-Al Jalil, dropped the petition from its hearing as the investigation into the case is ongoing. Advocate Eunus
Ali Akond, who filed the petition, told reporters that he would later on move the petition before another HC bench.
Akond filed the petition seeking a HC directive to the government to constitute a judicial committee to probe the killing of Sohagi Jahan Tonu. The petition sought an HC directive to the police, seeking the arrests of Tonus murderers within 24 hours.
The petition also prayed to the HC to direct the government to give Tk. 30 lakh as compensation to the victims family.
Akond moved the petition to challenge what he called the inactivity in the investigation, since the police are yet to make any arrests in connection with the murder.
The petition also prayed to the HC to issue a rule asking the government to explain why its inactivity should not be found illegal.
Tonu was a second year History student at Comilla Victoria Government College and a theatre activist.
The discovery of Tonus body just a few yards from her home at Comilla Cantonment on March 20 sparked intense public outrage over security. Police suspect she was raped before being murdered. bLater, Tonus father, Yar Hossain, filed a murder case with Comilla Kotwali police station.
The investigation has gone from the police and the Detective Branch to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), with public protests continuing in Dhaka and other parts of the country.
