Cumilla Correspondent

The killing of 13-year-old Ishayat Shahriar Apratim in Cumilla was allegedly planned about a week before the incident, according to three accused arrested in the case. Their confessional statements before a court reportedly said they planned the killing out of a desire to take Apratim’s iPhone and lured him to an isolated area of the Lalmai hills on the pretext of taking photographs.

The three statements contain several similarities regarding the planning, taking Apratim to the hills and obtaining his iPhone. However, there are some differences in their accounts of what happened afterward and the sequence of events.

Apratim, a seventh-grade student at Cumilla Border Guard Public School, went missing after leaving home on September 18. His body was recovered the following day from an isolated area of the Lalmai hills in Sananda village of Sadar South, Cumilla.

Saiful Islam alias Tuhin, 19, and two juveniles arrested in connection with the case gave confessional statements under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure before the Cumilla Senior Judicial Magistrate’s Court on September 20.

Plan Made a Week Before the Incident

Tuhin’s statement reportedly contains the most detailed account of the alleged planning. He said he had known Apratim for five to six months and that Apratim would go out with them to take photographs and make TikTok videos.

According to Tuhin, he and a teenage employee at Apratim’s father’s shop became interested in Apratim’s iPhone. He said they met near the main gate of Cumilla University on the Friday evening before the incident, where they discussed taking the phone and killing Apratim.

The teenage employee also acknowledged the meeting on the previous Friday, but placed the main responsibility for the alleged plan on Tuhin. The other juvenile also reportedly said that on the day of the incident, a friend told him that Tuhin and others had planned to kill Apratim to take his iPhone.

Contact Through TikTok

According to Tuhin’s statement, he met Apratim in front of a polytechnic institute in Mainamati on the evening of September 17. He then obtained information about Apratim’s TikTok account.

Tuhin reportedly contacted Apratim through TikTok later that night. After Apratim provided a mobile phone number, they spoke and agreed to meet after Friday prayers the following day.

All three accused reportedly said Apratim was taken along on the pretext of taking photographs.

What Happened After They Went to the Hills

Tuhin’s statement said he met Apratim on the afternoon of September 18 and then took him towards the hills in the Sananda area.

Meanwhile, the teenager who worked at Apratim’s father’s shop reportedly said he met Apratim in the Kotbari area and later went to the hills with another teenage friend. There, they saw Apratim and Tuhin together.

All three statements reportedly agree that the four spent some time talking and socialising.

At one point, Apratim’s iPhone was taken, according to the statements. A dispute reportedly broke out between Apratim and Tuhin when Apratim asked for the phone back. The three accused said an attack on Apratim then took place under Tuhin’s leadership.

After Apratim died, the accused reportedly left the area separately, according to the statements. All three accounts also indicate that the phone ultimately remained with Tuhin.

Investigation Into Siam

Tuhin’s statement also mentioned his friend Mohammad Siam, 19. Tuhin reportedly said he called Siam after the incident and informed him about what had happened. However, the statements of the other two accused did not mention Siam’s involvement in the alleged planning of the killing.

Police arrested Siam and sent him to jail. According to police, he did not directly participate in the killing but allegedly concealed information about the incident after learning about it.

Further Verification Underway

Apratim’s father, KM Firoz Shahriar, filed a murder case against unidentified individuals. Several people were subsequently arrested based on the investigation.

Although the three confessional statements contain similarities regarding the alleged planning and sequence of events, investigators are comparing their accounts with other evidence collected during the investigation. Police are also investigating whether anyone else was involved in the killing.

The statements made before the court form part of the investigation, and their claims will ultimately be subject to determination through the judicial process.