Court Correspondent

The High Court (HC) today asked shifting the probe authority of the journalist couple Sagar Sarwar and Meherun Runi murder case to a high-powered taskforce to be formed by the Home Ministry from Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

A division bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Muhammad Mahbub Ul Islam passed the judgment upon a state petition seeking modification of the order on a writ demanding investigation afresh into the Sagar-Runi murder case.

The HC in its order said, "The tardiness in the Sagar-Runi murder case trial is a matter of regret not only for the family members (of the Sagar-Runi), but also for every citizen of the country."

"Hope, the justice will be ensured this time. The six-month time given for the probe (in the Sagar-Runi murder case) means six months," the court said fixing April 6 for the next hearing.

Supreme Court lawyer Manzil Murshid moved before the court on behalf of the writ and Additional Attorney Generals Arshadur Rauf and Aneek Rushd Haque and Deputy Attorney General Redwan Ahmed Ranjib argued for the state while Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir for the plaintiff.

Meanwhile, the plaintiff of the Sagar-Runi murder case filed a petition with the court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbubul Haque seeking permission to appoint nine more lawyers including Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir to conduct the case on behalf of them at his own cost. The court fixed tomorrow (October 1) for hearing to this end.

The journalist couple was brutally murdered at their rented flat at city's West Rajabazar on February 11 in 2012 in presence of their (then) four-year old son Mahir Sarwar Megh.

Runi's Brother Nawser Alam filed a murder case with Sher-e-Banglanagar Police Station.

At that time, Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) was entrusted with the charge of investigation into the murder case which was later transferred to the RAB.

RAB has failed to submit the investigation report in the court after taking time of 111 times for the last 12 years.