3 arrested suspects directly involved in killing Apratim: Cumilla SP
Police say a charge sheet will be submitted soon.
Three of the four suspects, who have already been arrested, were directly involved in the murder of Ishayat Shahriar Apratim, and it was a planned attack to steal the iPhone, which belonged to the child's mother, Comilla University Associate Professor Dr Nahida Nahid, according to police.
Speaking at a press conference today (20 September), Cumilla Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Anisuzzaman said they were further investigating the level of involvement of the fourth arrested suspect.
He identified the four individuals as 19-year-old Saiful Islam Tuhin of Sadar Dakshin Upazila; 15-year-old Mozammel Hossain Fahad of Sadar Dakshin Upazila; 15-year-old Kamrul Hasan of Sadar Upazila, and 15-year-old Mohammad Siam of Sadar Dakshin Upazila.
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The SP said, "We began the investigation immediately after the general diary (GD) was filed. After analysing CCTV footage from the surrounding area, we found that Tuhin took Apratim to a secluded jungle. Tuhin's primary target was the iPhone."
Fahad and his friend Kamrul were also directly involved in the murder along with Tuhin, he said. "Based on information provided by Tuhin, Fahad was arrested. Fahad told investigators that Kamrul was also involved in the killing."
According to their investigation, Anisuzzaman said Apratim left home around 2:30pm on 18 September, and he was killed around 5:30pm.
Police first learned about the location of the 13-year-old's body after interrogating Tuhin, he added.
Anisuzzaman detailed how the events unfolded by saying, "Initially, we learnt that Apratim resisted an attempt to snatch his iPhone in a quiet forest surrounded by hills at a place called Sananda between 5pm and 6pm on the day of the incident.
"At one point, a scuffle broke out between them. During this time, Tuhin first, and later Fahad and Kamrul, repeatedly struck Apratim on the head with thick bamboo sticks."
"Once they made sure he was dead, Tuhin fled the scene with Fahad and Kamrul, taking Apratim's iPhone with him," he added.
Apratim's father filed a murder case early today, and police are working to investigate quickly and file a proper charge sheet soon, said the SP.
Whether those arrested are involved with any teen gang would also be investigated, he added.
Notably, Apratim's father, KM Firoz, filed the case at Cumilla Sadar Dakshin Police Station at around 12:30am today, naming no accused.
Around noon today, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said that suspects detained in Apratim murder case have confessed to the crime.
"They are much like a juvenile crime gang. This boy (Apratim) had a friendship with them; they used to hang out frequently, according to updates and other information gathered. They are five to ten years older than this boy (Apratim)," he said.
Salahuddin praised the police for arresting the suspects and recovering evidence within a short time.
"We hope that, like the trial of the Ramisa murder, we will be able to conclude the trial of this murder in a short time. The court will deliver the verdict; we will cooperate by completing all our legal procedures and submitting the charge sheet," he said.
Meanwhile, Comilla University students blocked the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway for nearly two hours today, demanding the speedy trial and exemplary punishment of those responsible for the killing of Apratim.
The students began the blockade at around 11:15am at the Kotbari Bishwaroad area in Cumilla and withdrew it at around 1pm, returning to their campus in a procession.
The blockade caused severe traffic congestion on both sides of the highway, stretching for around 10km and causing significant suffering to passengers and drivers.
