Tasfia 'committed suicide'

After two months and nine days of investigation, the Detective Branch of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) yesterday submitted the final report in the Tasfia murder case, saying the school student committed suicide.

Sub-inspector (SI) Sawpon Kumar handed in the report before a court around 3:30pm, said Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) (Port) Abu Bakar Siddique of CMP.

The ADC told The Daily Star, “Analysing the post-mortem report, forensic report and deposition of 16 witnesses including eyewitnesses, police found that she committed suicide by jumping into the river.”

Tasfia Amin, 18, a ninth-grader of Sunshine Grammar School and College in Chittagong, was found dead on the Karnaphuli river bank in the city's naval area on May 2.

“In the final report, police called it a suicide as there was no sign of sexual assault or torture,” ADC Siddique said, adding, “Police pleaded that the court exempts the six accused from the charges.”

Police, however, could not find the reason behind the suicide, he said.

Meanwhile, Tasfia's family rejected the report, saying they would file a no-confidence petition over the report and demand further investigation.

Tasfia used to live with her parents in the city's OR Nizam Road area.

After recovery of the body, her father filed a murder case against six persons including her boyfriend with Patenga Police Station on May 3.

Police arrested two persons including the boyfriend while another accused Firoj surrendered before the court. The rest are still on the run.

ADC Abu Bakar said on May 1, without saying anything to her family, Tasfia went out of her home to meet her boyfriend for celebrating one month of their relationship.

Soon afterwards, Tasfia's mother found out the matter and Tasfia got frightened over the issue, said the ADC.

“We quizzed several witnesses who saw Tasfia sitting on the retention wall of the river at that night in Patenga, and they told police Tasfia jumped into the river,” he said, adding that the witnesses tried to rescue the girl but failed.

Patenga police had started the investigation, but the case was handed over to the DB on July 7.