Comilla: A Dhaka court on Monday ordered that the body of Comilla Victoria College student Sohagi Jahan Tonu be exhumed for fresh autopsy.

The court order follows ‘discrepancies’ in the investigating agencies’ primary findings and what has been gleaned from her original autopsy.  

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Begum Joynab Begum passed the order following a petition filed by officer-in-charge of Detective Branch (DB) of police of the district AKM Manjur Alam, also investigation officer of the case.

The court also asked the Comilla district administration to take necessary steps by assigning an executive magistrate to exhume the body from the grave for collecting DNA sample, fresh post-mortem and proper investigation of the case.  

The results of Tonu’s original autopsy have been greatly debated, with authorities refusing to submit they showed she was raped. Till Sunday, the official line was that they were yet to obtain the results of the autopsy.  

Doctor Kamda Proshad Saha, who conducted the original autopsy, told UNB’s Comilla correspondent on Monday that they completed the post-mortem on Tonu’s body in due time and a sample was sent to Chittagong for viscera test, while other samples were sent to different departments of Comilla Medical College Hospital for different tests. They will manage to disclose final report after getting all tests done, the doctor said.  

Meanwhile, the students of different colleges, including Comilla Victoria College continued their protest against the killing of Sohagi Jahan Tonu at Shaheed Minar premises in Comilla Victoria College here.

Mohammad Al-Amin, former president of Comilla Victoria College Theatre, said they have continued their demonstation and a protest rally will be held at Kandirpar in the city in the afternoon.

However, the local students and the residents of Noapara in Sadar upazila formed a human chain on Shashongaccha-Alekhachar road at about 11:00am and brought put a procession protesting the incident on the road, halting traffic movement in the area.

Talking to reporters, Comilla Police Super M Shah Abid Hossain said they are carrying out the investigation with high priority.

Sohagi Jahan Tonu, second year student of History Department of Comilla Victoria College and member of Victoria College Theatre, was found dead in a bush beside a culvert inside the Comilla Cantonment area on Sunday night. Her head was smashed, and she had allegedly been raped.

She was last seen on Sunday evening at about 7:00pm leaving the house where she used to tuition a student to make ends meet. Her body was found around 10.30pm as her family members launched into a frantic search fearing the worst after she failed to return home by the usual time, and failing to reach her on her cellphone.