The High Court has granted a task force investigating the murders of journalist couple Sagar Sarowar and Meherun Runi another six months to complete its probe.
The court also summoned the task force chief and Tanvir Zoha, an information technology expert and prosecutor at the International Crimes Tribunal, to provide an update on the investigation on April 27 next year. They have been directed to appear with relevant documents, and the court will hear their statements in camera.
A High Court bench comprising Justice Shikder Md Mahmudur Razi and Justice Fatema Anwar passed the order on Tuesday.
Senior lawyers Monzil Morshed and Shishir Manir appeared for the couple's family, while Attorney General Ruhul Quddus Kazal represented the state.
On September 30, 2024, the High Court ordered the removal of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from the investigation and directed the formation of a high-level task force under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The court set April 6, 2025, as the deadline for submitting the investigation report.
The ministry subsequently formed the task force. However, the investigation did not progress as scheduled, as the High Court was on vacation on the designated date. The state later sought additional time, and the case was placed on the High Court's hearing list again.
Sagar, news editor of Maasranga Television, and Runi, a senior reporter at ATN Bangla, were murdered at their rented apartment in the capital's West Rajabazar area on the night of February 11, 2012. Their only son, Mahir Sarowar Megh, was at home at the time.
Runi's brother, Nausher Ali Roman, filed a murder case with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar police station. Local police initially investigated the case before it was transferred to the Detective Branch three days later.
After the Detective Branch failed to make progress, the case was handed over to RAB on April 18, 2012.