Cox’s Bazar, Oct 12 (V7N) – Police have clarified that a man named Raju, described in some reports as the alleged boyfriend of murdered schoolgirl Jannatul Tazmin, was not involved in the case, while the CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver accused of raping and killing her has been arrested and confessed to the crime before a court.
The clarification followed reports that Cox’s Bazar Sadar Model Police had arrested Raju on Sunday night in connection with the murder of the seventh-grade student in Cumilla’s Lalmai upazila.
Police identified the accused driver as Sumon Mia, who was arrested in Chattogram on Friday, October 9, after investigators traced an abandoned CNG-run auto-rickshaw found near the place where Tazmin’s body was recovered. On Saturday, October 10, Sumon gave a confessional statement before a court under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and was subsequently sent to jail.
According to police, Tazmin, 15, hired Sumon’s auto-rickshaw from the Padua Bazar Bishwaroad area around 12:30am on Thursday, October 8, to travel home to the Racecourse area of Cumilla city. The agreed fare was Tk 300.
Investigators said Sumon allegedly took her to a crop field in Lalmai, where he raped and killed her. Police said he later fled with her iPhone and travelled to Chattogram. The phone was subsequently recovered from a wooded area in the Bakhrabad locality based on information provided by him.
Tazmin’s body was found in a crop field in Jagatpur village under Perul Uttar Union of Lalmai upazila on Thursday morning. A CNG-run auto-rickshaw and a bag were also found near the scene, prompting police to begin an investigation.
Her father, Abdul Alim, filed a murder case with Lalmai Police Station against unidentified persons. During the investigation, police questioned the vehicle’s owner and traced Sumon, who was identified as the driver of the auto-rickshaw at the time of the incident.
Police said the investigation was continuing to determine whether anyone else was involved.
The killing sparked widespread concern and demands for justice from the victim’s family and local residents. They called for a thorough investigation and exemplary punishment for those responsible.
Tazmin was a student at Farida Bidyayatan High School in Cumilla city. Her family’s home district is Jashore, and she lived with her parents in the city’s Racecourse area.
The police clarification regarding Raju underscores the importance of verifying names and allegations in a sensitive criminal investigation, particularly before identifying anyone publicly as a suspect.
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