Conflict with three teachers and the cashier might have led to the brutal killing of the principal of Nazirhut College. Two of the three witnesses said this during the hearing of the sensational principal Gopal Krishna Muhuri murder case at the

Speedy Trial Court of Justice M Hasan Imam here yesterday. The witnesses were Advocate Imdadul Islam, a neighbour of the principal and Yusuf Khan, father of the murdered top-notch Shibir cadre Humayun.

The other witness Azam, owner of Kasturika restaurant of Chawkbazar in the city, was declared as hostile for denying his previous statement.

In the previous statement he said top-notch terrorist and Shibir cadre Nasir on his way to Chittagong jail from Comilla managed to hold a meeting with his accomplices at Kasturika on October 19, 2001.

Mentionable, Taslim Uddin Montu, an accused in the case, in his confession said they killed principal Muhuri at the directive of Nasir, another accused in the case.

With Azam, five out of sixteen witnesses have so far declared 'hostile' for discrepancies in their statements.