United News of Bangladesh

The verdict in the case filed over the rape and murder of eight-year-old Ramisa Akter in the city’s Pallabi area will be delivered on June 7. Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Children Violence Suppression Tribunal fixed the date on Thursday on completion of arguments from both the prosecution and the defence, said Special Public Prosecutor Azizur Rahman Dulu. Prime accused Sohel Rana was produced before the tribunal at 11:24am while his wife Swapna Akter at 11:39am. The judge took the bench at the tribunal around 11:45am. Subsequently, Special PP Azizur Rahman began presenting his closing arguments. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court passed the order at 1:36pm. The prosecution sought the highest punishment for Sohel Rana under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act. It also sought legal punishment for co-accused Swapna Akter, alleging that she assisted in the crime and failed to prevent it. During the hearing, the prosecutor read out the testimonies of the victim’s parents. He also read portions of Sohel Rana’s confessional statement before the court, noting that the accused had made no mention of anyone named “Dollar” in his deposition. Later, around 1:31pm, state-appointed defence counsel Musa Kalimullah began presenting his arguments. Arguing on behalf of the accused, he said Sohel Rana had stated in his confessional statement that he used drugs, and that a person suffering from drug addiction could not always be expected to give an accurate account. Therefore, he argued, it would not be appropriate to punish the accused solely on the basis of his confession. In response, the public prosecutor contended that Sohel Rana was not under the influence of drugs either at the time of the crime or when he gave his confessional statement. Earlier, on Wednesday, the tribunal heard self-defence statements from the two accused after the testimony phase in the case concluded within a single day on Tuesday. Out of 18 witnesses, 16 made their depositions against prime accused Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akter before the tribunal. Musa Kalimullah cross-examined the witnesses. Ramisa’s father Abdul Mannan Molla, who is also the plaintiff of the case, was the first to make his deposition, followed by her mother, elder sister and others. In their depositions, the victim’s father and mother recounted the horrifying sequence of events that took place on May 19. On June 1, the tribunal framed charges against the two accused in the case. Before that, on May 24, the IO – Sub-Inspector Ohiduzzaman of Pallabi Police Station – submitted the charge sheet before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court of Dhaka. Later, the case was transferred to the tribunal. Ramisa Akter was raped and murdered by Sohel Rana, a tenant of a neighbouring flat on the 2nd floor of the building, on May 19. According to the case details, Sohel lured her into his room and later killed her after rape. Ramisa’s decapitated body was found beneath the bed while her severed head was found inside a bucket in the bathroom. While Swapna Akter was detained from the scene, Sohel Rana managed to escape by cutting through a window grille. He was tracked down and arrested by police later in Fatullah of Narayanganj.