‘Real murderer’ arrested, following release and mysterious death of wrongfully convicted Minu

Police have arrested Kulsum Akhter. Sentenced in a murder case to life in prison, Kulsum had lured one Minu Akhter to serve the prison term in her place, for money.

She was arrested from Patenga in Chattogram city on Wednesday night, said Kotwali Police Station OC, Nezam Uddin.

Sources said convicted Kulsum bribed Minu, a widow and mother of three, to go to prison in her place, and subsequently, innocent Minu served three years in jail in Kulsum's place.

The murder at the root of all this was in July 2006, when police recovered the body of Parvin, a woman found hanging from a mango tree in Rahmatganj under Kotwali police station in Chattogram.

Investigation revealed that Kulsum had strangled Parvin to death and hung her body from the tree, to make the murder look like a suicide.

On 26 October, 2007, Kulsum was arrested and jailed on a court order. But she secured bail in a year and three months.

The final verdict in the case was given in 2017 by then Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Nurul Islam. Kulsum was sentenced to life in prison with a fine of Tk50,000 and another year of imprisonment if she failed to pay the fine. Kulsum was by then a fugitive when the final verdict was given.

In June 2018, through her lawyer Nasir Uddin, Kulsum wanted to surrender to the court. But when the time came to give herself up, Kulsum bribed Minu to go to prison in her place. Kulsum promised Minu that she, Kulsum,  would look after Minu's three children.

On the day of the surrender, Minu Akhter came to court instead of Kulsum Akhter, and was sent to prison, where she spent three years.

However, after three years, a lawyer, one Golam Maula Murad, came to know of all this leading up to Minu being in prison. He revealed to the court the real 'truth' behind this heartbreaking incident and Minu was released from prison at last. 

Her joy, unfortunately, was shortlived. She died in a mysterious road accident a few days after her release. The news was published in The Business Standard under the headline 'Mystery over death of wrongfully convicted Minu Akhter'. 

Soon after Minu's release, Kulsum's entire family fled their home in Jangalsalimpur,Sitakunda one night and the manhunt for the real Kulsum began once again.

On Wednesday night, police finally succeeded in arresting Kulsum Akhter.

Minu's lawyer, Golam Maula Murad, told TBS on Thursday that "Kulsum was arrested last night and has been brought to the police station."