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of Shahin’s case have still not reached the investigation agency.

Shahin said if the documents are not presented in court, the trial will certainly be disrupted.

Contacted, Anisur Rahman, a sub-inspector at the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) and also the IO, told The Daily Star, “Now we are investigating the case filed with Ashulia Police Station only. We do not know where another murder case was filed. We did not receive any court order or case docket in this regard.”

Abu Bakar Siddique, the then OC of Ashulia Police Station, told The Daily Star, “I did not receive any court order regarding the matter when I was there.”

Nur Alam, bench assistant of the court where Shahin filed the case, said he did not know about the case since it had happened before he was posted there.

Supreme Court lawyer Ishrat Hasan said, “Losing court records is regarded as a serious lapse in the justice system and may constitute a punishable offence. In such situations, a show-cause notice can be issued against the custodian of the records, and departmental proceedings may follow where appropriate.”

“The administrative authorities of the concerned court may also form an inquiry committee to identify those responsible and to recommend disciplinary measures,” she added.

Contacted for comment on whether the university administration had exerted any influence, JU Vice-Chancellor Prof Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan said, “I had no information regarding this matter, and personally, there has been no influence from the vice chancellor’s office.”

“If anyone seeks legal remedy, I expect -- especially after the mass uprising -- that they will receive fair justice,” he said

Meanwhile, several of the nine students accused in the murder case have been seen freely roaming the Jahangirnagar University campus.

Police arrested JU English student Mahmudul Hasan Raihan from Gazipur’s Hotapara on September 23 last year and Pharmacy student Saiful Islam Bhuiyan from Dhaka’s Turag area on September 29 that year.

According to case records, Raihan remains in jail, while Saiful and another accused, Atikuzzaman, a Management Studies student, are currently out on bail.

Witnesses said that since March 21, three of the accused -- Ahsan Labib, Hamidullah Salman, and Mohammad Rajon Mia -- have appeared on campus.

On August 21, Labib, a Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering student, submitted his nomination papers to the Jucsu Election Commission to contest in the polls. He has been campaigning regularly since August 29 and was present at the announcement of his “Shikkharthi Oikya Forum” panel on August 22.

Salman submitted his nomination papers on August 18 to the Election Commission’s member secretary AKM Rashidul Alam. He, too, began campaigning on August 29 and was present on August 28 when the Chhatra Dal-backed panel was announced.

Rajon, Salman, and Labib have since been seen campaigning across the campus ahead of the Jucsu elections.

When asked why the accused have not been arrested, investigator Anisur said, “Not everything can be done just by wishing.”