A Dhaka court today acquitted former student leader and Jatiya Party lawmaker Golam Faruq Ovi, in his absence, in a case filed over the murder of model Syeda Tania Mahbub Tinni in 2002.
Judge Mosammat Shahinur Akhter of the Dhaka 2nd Additional District and Sessions Judge’s Court delivered the verdict.
In the judgment, the judge stated that the prosecution had completely failed to prove the charges against the lone accused in the case, leading to Ovi’s acquittal.
During the trial, Tinni’s father, Syed Mahbub Karim, testified before the court on February 5, 2022, and called for exemplary punishment for the accused.
Earlier, both the prosecution and the state-appointed lawyer had completed their arguments, and the court had recorded statements from 26 prosecution witnesses, including the complainant.
None of the victim’s family members were present in court during today’s verdict.
On November 10, 2002, police recovered Tinni’s body from under the China-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge over the Buriganga River, and a case was filed with Keraniganj Police Station that same day.
Following the incident, Shafiuddin, a sub-inspector of the police station, arrested Tinni’s ex-husband Shafakat Ahmed Pial, Swapan Gazi, Gazi Sharifullah Tapan, Shafiqul Islam Jewel, and Somnath Saha Bappy on different dates.
However, on November 8, 2008, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) filed charges against Ovi and dropped the charges against Pial and others, as there was insufficient evidence to prove the accusations against them.
According to the charge sheet, Ovi murdered Tinni when she insisted on being given social recognition through marriage.
After the murder, Ovi fled to Canada after securing bail and challenging a 1992 trial court verdict, which had sentenced him to 17 years in jail in an arms case.
Following the charge sheet, the court issued an arrest warrant against Ovi, directing him to appear before it on various dates, but Ovi did not comply with the court’s orders.
