Sarima Murder
‘Killer’ arrested
Police arrested the prime accused in Sarima Rahman killing case from a Chittagong-bound bus at Bhatiari under Sitakunda upazila early yesterday.
The arrestee was SM Toha alias Sohrab alias Sourav, 26, son of Mohammad Lokman of Kulgaon area under the city’s Bayezid Police Station.
Acting on a tip off, a joint team of police and Detective Branch arrested Sourav around 1:30am.
At a press briefing in the Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) headquarters yesterday, Sourav confessed to killing Sarima with a knife that he brought from his house. The reason behind the killing, he said, was Sarima’s denial to continue relationship with him.
“Sarima broke up with me six months ago for my family status and poor educational background,” said Sourav, adding, “About a month ago, I decided to commit suicide and sent Sarima the message through her friends Safaat Ishtiak and Tasrin.”
“Last Thursday, I met her on the roof of Safaat’s house to return the letters and gifts she gave me earlier and give a final shot to save our relationship,” he said adding that he also planned to scare her by a suicide prank on the roof.
He said Safaat and Tasrin were also on the roof during the incident.
“At one stage of the conversation, following repeated refusal by Sarima I flicked out the knife,” Sourav continued saying, “She then started to run and I caught her and stabbed her. After that, Safaat and I took her to Chittagong Medical College Hospital and I fled from there. I threw my blood stained t-shirt in a drain near Oxygen intersection and headed towards Dhaka to my elder brother’s.”
“I am now repentant for what I have done,” added Sourav.
Amena Begum, deputy commissioner (DC) (Chittagong north), said police had recovered the knife that was used for stabbing from the roof of an adjacent building and quizzed Safaat, Tasrin and Abul Bashar, security guard of the building where the incident took place.
“We made Sourav’s mother and maternal uncle convince him to come back to Chittagong,” said the DC, adding that on confirmation that Sourav and his brother had started for Chittagong from Dhaka at 7:00 Friday, the law enforcers waylaid the brothers at Bhatiari and arrested Sourav.”
CMP Commissioner Abul Kashem said police also quizzed Nabil, who arranged the roof-top meeting, and actions would be taken if any of the victim’s friends are found involved in provoking or planning the murder.
Investigation officer of the case Sub-Inspector Sandip Kumar Das of Kotwali Police Station claimed the murder pre-planned as Sourav brought the weapon and a backpack of clothes from house.
He kept the bag in a CNG-run-three wheeler, which was kept waiting near the place of occurrence, said the SI, adding that they used the auto rickshaw for taking Sarima to hospital.
After several attempts, Sourav passed SSC exam from Open University in 2008. He hasn’t completed the higher secondary yet.
