CID claims evidence links actor Don to Salman Shah murder

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has claimed to have found evidence suggesting the involvement of actor Ashraful Haque Don in the murder of popular film actor Chowdhury Mohammad Shahriar Emon alias Salman Shah, based on his conduct and movements before, during and after the incident.

CID Inspector Md Mojibur Rahman, the investigation officer in the case, made the claim in a petition seeking to keep Don in jail after his five-day remand ended on Wednesday.

According to the petition, Don was interrogated about the incident and told investigators that Salman was one of his very close friends and that they had acted together in several films from 1992 until the actor’s death.

The petition said Don admitted knowing the absconding accused named in the first information report (FIR) but allegedly withheld important information about the case.

“As a close friend of Salman Shah, Don knew all information about him as they used to move around together,” the petition said.

The investigation officer claimed that Don gave evasive answers when questioned about Salman Shah’s death and the circumstances surrounding it.

“Many pieces of information and evidence suggesting the accused’s involvement in the incident have been found from his conduct and movements before, during and after the incident,” the petition said.

It also said that, as the case involved a highly publicised and sensational incident, all information obtained during the investigation was being verified.

Describing Don as “very clever and daring”, the petition alleged that he had concealed important information about the incident.

The petition sought to keep Don in jail until the investigation is completed, saying he might be interrogated again with the court’s permission if necessary in the interest of the investigation.

Don was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on 9 August and sent to jail the same day. His bail petition was rejected on 12 August. On 27 August, the court granted police five days to interrogate him on remand.

Salman Shah’s body was recovered from his Eskaton residence in the capital on 6 September 1996. Twenty-nine years after his death, a court last year ordered the filing of a murder case over the incident.

Alamgir Kumkum, Salman Shah’s maternal uncle, filed the murder case with Ramna Police Station in October last year on behalf of Salman Shah’s mother, Neela Chowdhury.

The case names 11 people as accused, including Salman Shah’s former wife, Samira Haque, and actor Ashraful Haque alias Don.

The other accused are Samira’s mother Latifa Haque Lucy; businessman Aziz Mohammad Bhai; David; Javed; Faruk; Ruby; Abdul Sattar; Saju; and Rezvi Ahmed alias Farhad.