Autorickshaw driver raped Cumilla schoolgirl before murdering her: Police  

A CNG-run autorickshaw driver, who has been arrested, raped and killed a 15-year-old schoolgirl before discarding her body in a paddy field in Cumilla's Lalmai upazila, police said today (10 October).

At a press conference this morning, Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime) Pankaj Barua claimed that primary investigation suggests no evidence that anyone other than the autorickshaw driver was involved in the murder.

Pankaj said that during primary questioning, Sumon, the arrested driver, stated that he raped and later killed the schoolgirl. 

He also took the iPhone from her handbag and threw the bag into the paddy field, the officer added.

"Sumon later hid the iPhone in a jungle in the Bakhrabad area before travelling to Chattogram. Based on his confession and information provided by him, police recovered the iPhone from the jungle in Bakhrabad," Pankaj added.  

He continued, "We are trying to establish the full details of the incident. Whether anyone else was involved or there were any other motives will become clear once the investigation is complete. We will be able to provide further details at that stage."

Pankaj said they received a call on Thursday morning (8 October) reporting that a girl's body had been found beside a paddy field in Jagatpur village of Lalmai upazila.

"Lalmai police promptly arrived at the scene. The girl's father later identified the victim as Jannatul Tajmin, whose permanent address is in Jashore. She was a seventh-grade student of Farida Vidyayatan in Cumilla city," he added.

Pankaj added, "The family had been living in Cumilla because of her father's job. A murder case was subsequently filed at Lalmai Police Station. Following the registration of the case, district detectives and officers from the local police station launched a joint investigation."