The body of slain Comilla Victoria Government College student Sohagi Jahan Tonu was exhumed for a fresh autopsy yesterday, 10 days after she was buried.
On March 28, a Comilla court ordered to exhume Tonu’s body following a petition filed by AKM Manzur Alam, officer-in-charge of Comilla Detective Branch of police.
The petition sought a court order to exhume the body, saying it was needed for a fair investigation, collecting DNA samples, preparing the inquest report and conducting a second post-mortem.
Tonu’s body was exhumed from the grave at Mirzapur village in Comilla’s Muradnagar upazila around 11:30am. Special Superintendent of Police of Dhaka Criminal Investigation Department Dr Nazmul Karim Khan, Comilla Superintendent of Police Md Shah Abid Hossain, Comilla Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Lutfun Nahar and Tonu’s father Yaar Hossain were present there.
A three-member team led by Dr Kamda Prasad Saha, chief of the forensic department at Comilla Medical College, carried out the second autopsy of the body, which was later handed over to the family.
Tonu, a student of history, was killed inside Comilla cantonment on March 20. She was laid to rest the following day.
Also on that day, Tonu’s father filed a case with Comilla Kotwali Model police station. Sub-Inspector of the police station Saiful Islam was first assigned to conduct the probe but the case was later transferred to the DB on March 25.
Again on March 29, the case was transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department.
Protests continue
Demonstrations demanding justice for Tonu were held at different educational institutions in Comilla yesterday.
Students of Tonu’s college who live in Chauddagram upazila’s Miabazar formed a human chain and blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. Several thousand students of other institutions joined them.
Protests were also held in Pirojpur, Panchagarh and Kurigram.
Army to assist in probe
The Inter Service Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) yesterday said it would offer assistance in the investigation into Tonu’s killing.
ISPR Assistant Director Muhammad Reza-ul Karim Shammee, who read out the written statement at a press briefing at Mainamati Officers Club in Comilla cantonment, said the army was determined to cordially assist in the probe.
