No eyewitnesses, but Abhi’s presence at Tinni’s house confirmed, court rules in murder case

In a recent court ruling, it was revealed that there were no eyewitnesses to the murder of model Syeda Tania Mahbub Tinni, also known as Tinni. 

The case, which has stirred much public interest over the years, involves Golam Faruk Abhi, a former Member of Parliament, who had been accused of her murder. 

The verdict came after an investigation led by Mohammad Mojammel Hossain, the former Additional Superintendent of Police.

According to the report published by Prothom Alo, 

"Abhi Was at Tinni’s House on the Night She Went Missing," the court ruling stated that while Abhi was accused of murdering Tinni, there was no direct witness to the crime. 

It was also noted that a charge sheet was filed against Abhi based on the testimony of a man named Sanjidzul Hasan Imon. 

However, when Imon gave his statement in court, he denied knowing anything about the murder and said he had never met Abhi.

Despite the absence of any witnesses claiming that Tinni had tried to force Abhi into marriage or threatened to go public with their relationship, the court confirmed that Abhi was indeed at Tinni’s house on the night she disappeared. 

The court emphasized that for someone to be convicted in a criminal case, the evidence must be clear and beyond a reasonable doubt. 

Simply leaving the scene or fleeing does not make someone guilty.

Tinni’s body was discovered on November 10, 2002, under the Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge-1 over the Buriganga River.

At first, her identity was unknown, and she was buried as an unidentified woman. It wasn’t until November 15, after her photo was published in the newspaper, that her uncle recognized her. 

The body was exhumed, and further investigation led to the filing of a charge sheet against Abhi in 2008.

In 2023, a judge in Dhaka acquitted Abhi of all charges in the case. The court concluded that Tinni and Abhi had been in a romantic relationship and had been living together. 

Tinni’s uncle testified that Tinni was married to a man named Piyal, but they had separated due to domestic issues. 

Tinni met Abhi during a trip to Bangkok, and they began living together after a conflict between Tinni and Piyal.

The court’s ruling also addressed claims that Tinni had pressured Abhi into marrying her, suggesting that she might expose their relationship to the media. 

However, none of the witnesses testified to this claim. Instead, it was confirmed that Tinni had told her father about her relationship with Abhi, and there was no evidence that their relationship had become strained.

On the night Tinni disappeared, her uncle testified that she visited their house briefly before leaving. A few minutes later, her housemaid, Beena, came to their house saying, “Abhi Bhai is looking for Tinni Apa.” 

Another maid, Shefali, testified that Abhi stayed at Tinni’s house overnight, searching for her. 

The next morning, Abhi left, asking Shefali to inform him if Tinni was found.

The investigation officer, Mohammad Mojammel Hossain, confirmed that no one saw the actual murder of Tinni. He added that Abhi had stayed at Tinni’s house the night she went missing. 

The charge sheet, however, was based on the testimony of Imon, who later said in court that he had been pressured into giving false information.

Imon testified that in 2008, he was on remand with the CID for another case. They told him that he would have to testify in the Tinni case or be made an accused himself. 

Under pressure, he signed a statement, but later clarified that he didn’t know Abhi and had never spoken to him about the murder.

Following the verdict, Iqbal Hossain, the Chief Public Prosecutor, said that an appeal would be filed in a higher court. 

The case, which has dragged on for years, continues to raise questions about what really happened on that fateful night in 2002.