Woman Confesses to Tutor’s Killing

A woman arrested in connection with the killing of private tutor Moriyom Begum in Chapainawabganj has confessed to the crime in a court statement, according to police.

The accused, Sumaiya Akhtar Sumi, told the court that she alone killed Moriyom Begum after striking her with a wooden baton-like object and later suffocating her. Her statement was recorded under Section 164 on Wednesday evening by Senior Judicial Magistrate Md Ashraful Islam at the Chapainawabganj Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court.

Additional Superintendent of Police A N M Wasim Firoz confirmed the development on Thursday morning.

Police recovered Moriyom Begum’s body, wrapped in a sack, from Sumi’s residence in the Namoshankarbaty Chowkapara area of Chapainawabganj municipality on 19 May. Following the recovery, police arrested Sumi, her husband Md Rubel, her father-in-law Anwar Hossain, and local goldsmith Dipak Saha.

According to police, Moriyom Begum worked as a private tutor for Sumi’s child. On 18 May, while visiting the house to teach, Moriyom reportedly requested a loan from Sumi to help purchase a laptop computer for her son. As Sumi was unable to provide the money, Moriyom handed over two gold earrings to her so they could be sold.

Police said the earrings were sold to goldsmith Dipak Saha for Tk 12,000. Investigators stated that Sumi spent Tk 5,000 from the proceeds, which later led to an argument between the two women.

A N M Wasim Firoz said that during the altercation Sumi struck Moriyom with a wooden baton kept in the house. When Moriyom screamed, Sumi allegedly suffocated her to death.

After the killing, the body was reportedly wrapped in a quilt and initially hidden beneath a bed in a bedroom. Later, the body was placed inside a sack and moved to an area outside the room. Police said Sumi informed her husband about the incident later that night.

The additional superintendent of police also stated that Dipak Saha admitted in his own court statement that he had purchased the earrings from Sumi.

Investigators have seized the wooden baton believed to have been used in the killing, one pair of earrings belonging to Moriyom Begum, and Tk 7,500 believed to be the remaining money from the sale of the jewellery.

Moriyom Begum was the wife of Mosaddek Hossain of Ujjalpara in Chapainawabganj municipality. After the recovery of the body, her son Mobarak Hossain filed a murder case with Sadar Police Station on the same day.