A Dhaka court has deferred the submission of the investigation report in the murder case of journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi for the 129th time, setting September 30 as the next date.
The investigation report was scheduled to be submitted on Thursday. However, the case's investigation officer, PBI Additional Superintendent of Police Md Azizul Haque, failed to submit it.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Ariful Islam subsequently set September 30 as the new date for submission of the report.
SI Mazharul Islam of the prosecution department confirmed the matter.
The accused in the case are Rafiqul Islam, Bakul Mia, Masum Mintu, Kamrul Islam alias Arun, Abu Sayeed, security guards Palash Rudra Pal and Enayet Ahmed, and their acquaintance Tanvir Rahman Khan.
Tanvir is currently out on bail, while Palash Rudra Pal is absconding after securing bail. The remaining accused are in jail.
On February 11, 2012, Sagar Sarwar, news editor of Maasranga Television, and Meherun Runi, a senior reporter at ATN Bangla, were killed at their residence. Runi's brother, Nowsher Alam Roman, subsequently filed a murder case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station.
Initially, a sub-inspector of the police station was assigned to investigate the case. Four days later, the investigation was handed over to the Dhaka Metropolitan Police's Detective Branch (DB).
After more than two months of investigation, the DB failed to solve the case. On April 18, 2012, the High Court ordered that the investigation be handed over to the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).
On September 30 last year, the High Court ordered the formation of a high-powered task force comprising experienced investigators from different law enforcement agencies to investigate the case and complete the probe within six months. It also ordered that RAB be removed from the investigation.
Following the High Court's order, the Public Security Division of the Home Ministry issued a notification on October 17 last year forming the task force.
A four-member high-level task force was formed with the PBI chief as its convener.