Lalmonirhat Lynching: Now DC's probe body finds no proof of Quran desecration

The probe committee commissioned by the Lalmonirhat district administration found no evidence of Quran desecration, speculation of which led to the brutal murder of a man by an angry mob in Burimari union of Patgram upazila in Lalmonirhat. 

“The investigation committee did not find any evidence of Quran desecration. Vicious rumours led to the atrocious incident of October 29,” said Deputy Commissioner Abu Zafor while addressing the media at his office Thursday morning.

After an investigation spanning nine working days since its formation, the three-member probe committee submitted its six-page final report containing five recommendations to the DC office Thursday morning. 

DC Abu Zafor said: “The probe report contains a detailed description of the murder and torching of Abu Yunus Md Shahidunnabi Jewel on October 29. Although I can’t divulge many details from the report, I can confirm that the report did not find any evidence of Quran desecration on that day. An innocent man was killed and later had his body torched as a result of vicious rumours.”

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“I cannot publish anything about the investigation report at this moment. We will send this investigation report to the Hon'ble Cabinet Secretariat, Ministry of Home Affairs and other relevant ministries for necessary action.”

There have been three separate cases filed over the incident. Police have arrested 32 people so far and ten suspects have been remanded. Three of them have given confessional statements in the court under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

On October 29, Abu Yunus Md Shahidunnabi Jewel, 50, was beaten to death and his body was torched by an angry mob on the Burimari Union Parishad premises in Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat district. Later, Lalmonirhat district administration formed a three-member probe body to investigate the incident.