A former Khulna University student has confessed in court to his involvement in the beating of North Western University student Md Ajmul Hossain, saying two other people also took part in the assault, according to police.
Hasnat Habib Rifat, a cash officer at Krishi Bank who was arrested in Pirojpur in connection with the case, made the statement before a Khulna court on Tuesday night.
Investigating Officer Sub-Inspector Nazmul Haque said Rifat gave a statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before Judge Ibrahim Khalil of Khulna Metropolitan Magistrate Court-4. He was later sent to jail.
According to police, Rifat said former Khulna University students Pratap Sarkar and Tarek Hasan Rubel, owner of a juice shop near Khanjahan Ali Hall, also took part in beating Ajmul.
Police said Rifat and Pratap lived in the same mess as Ajmul, while Rubel went there after learning about the incident and joined the assault.
Harintana police station Officer-in-Charge Iqbal Hossain said eight people, including Rifat, Pratap and Rubel, were present during the assault.
“Interrogation is yielding further important information,” he said.
According to the OC, Rifat told police that Ajmul fell from the roof at one point during the beating.
Iqbal also confirmed that Rifat works as a cash officer at Krishi Bank’s Nawapara branch in Bagerhat.
He said none of the three arrested suspects was named in the initial First Information Report, although police believe they were directly involved in the incident.
Police are continuing operations to arrest the other suspects. Pratap and Rubel, who are currently in police custody, may be produced before a court on Wednesday afternoon.
Three arrested
Rifat, a student of the 16th batch of Khulna University’s Fisheries and Marine Resource Technology Department, was detained by SRB-6 from Kuriana Adabari village under Nesarabad police station in Pirojpur late Monday night.
Rubel was picked up from near Khanjahan Ali Hall on Tuesday afternoon.
On Wednesday afternoon, a joint team of the Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB) and Harintana police detained Pratap in Wazirpur, Barishal.
Lt Col Nistar Ahmed, commander of SRB-6, said the battalion launched a parallel investigation following the murder and later assisted police in apprehending the suspects.
Rifat and Rubel were subsequently handed over to Harintana police, he said.
Ahaduzzaman Mia, deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan DB, said information technology was used to trace Pratap’s location in Wazirpur.
He said Pratap was detained around 5pm and later handed over to Harintana police.
How Ajmul died
According to police, Ajmul was taken to the fourth floor and rooftop of the mess late on September 18 and beaten after being accused of theft.
At one point, he fell from the roof of the four-storey building. He was later taken to hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
Police are investigating whether Ajmul jumped from the roof or was pushed or thrown after being beaten.
Ajmul’s father, Kutub Uddin, filed a murder case with Harintana police station, naming four people and accusing 20-25 unidentified individuals.