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Model Tinni murder case: Verdict deferred again

A Dhaka court has deferred its verdict again in a case filed over the murder of model Syeda Tania Mahbub Tinni against former Jatiya Party MP Golam Faruk Ovi in 2002.  

Additional District and Sessions Judge-7 Keshob Roy Chowdhury on Monday (November 15) re-scheduled the date on Jan 5  to pronounce the verdict as the recording of Tinni’s father’s Syed Mahbubul Karim and her uncle Syed Rezaul Karim  statements was not completed.

“Tinni’s father only gave partial testimony, and her uncle has not testified before,” said Bhola Nath Dutta, assistant public prosecutor at the court. “They came to court and asked to provide further testimony, so the court has deferred the verdict and it will not be issued today.”

Earlier, the same court was set to deliver the verdict on October 26, but it deferred to November 15 saying that judgment on the case was not ready.

On November 10, 2002, Tinni’s body was found under the China-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge over the Buriganga River. A case was filed with Keraniganj police station on the same day.

Following the incident, police arrested Tinni’s former husband Shafakat Ahmed Pial and four others – Swapan Gazi, Gazi Sharifullah Tapan, Shafiqul Islam Jewel and Somnath Saha Bappy.

However, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pressed charge against former MP Golam Faruq Ovi in November 2008 and dropped the names of Pial and others as the charges brought against them were not proven.

Investigators said Ovi killed Tinni to hide his “illicit relationship” with her under wraps. According to the charge sheet, Ovi murdered her when she became persistent in her demand to give her social recognition through marriage.

Soon after the murder, Ovi moved to Canada after securing bail and challenging a 1992 trial court verdict, which sentenced him to 17 years in jail in an arms case.

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