The mother of a child victim in a widely discussed rape and murder case in Magura has expressed dissatisfaction after three accused were acquitted in the recent verdict.
She shared her reaction outside the court on Saturday morning following the announcement of the judgment.
The court sentenced the victim’s elder sister’s brother-in-law, Hitu Sheikh, to death and fined him one lakh taka.
However, three other accused were acquitted. The verdict was delivered by Judge M. Zahid Hasan of the Magura Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal around 9:30 am.
The mother of the victim, who was present in court along with the accused during the verdict, told the media, “I am not happy. How can three accused be acquitted? They all helped in this crime. They threatened my elder daughter and physically assaulted her, even silencing her. They are also guilty and should be punished.”
According to court sources, charges were framed against the victim’s elder sister’s brother-in-law under Section 9(2) of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act for causing death by rape; against the sister’s husband and brother-in-law under Section 506(2) of the Penal Code for intimidation; and against the sister’s mother-in-law under Section 201 for destroying evidence.
Regarding the verdict, the public prosecutor, Monirul Islam Mukul, said, “We are satisfied that the main accused was sentenced to death.
However, we will review the full verdict to understand why the other three were acquitted and decide on filing an appeal in a higher court.”
Meanwhile, the defense lawyer representing the acquitted accused expressed satisfaction with the acquittal, stating that the allegations against them were not proven.
He added that a decision regarding appealing the death sentence of the main accused would be made after consulting with his family.
The daughter of the condemned accused alleged that the trial was one-sided. She claimed that no lawyer truly supported them, as the legal aid lawyer assigned did not adequately represent their side in court.
They wanted to present several witnesses, but the lawyer said it was not allowed. She said, “If justice is served by executing my father, so be it. But what happened was unfair.”
She also said that after the incident, their family home was set on fire, and her grandmother has been forced to sleep on a neighbor’s veranda. She questioned who would ensure justice in this case.
The incident dates back to March 1, when the child had gone to visit her elder sister’s in-laws.
On March 6 around 11:30 am, she was admitted unconscious to Magura’s 250-bed hospital and later transferred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital and then to Dhaka Medical College Hospital due to her critical condition.
On March 7, she was placed on life support. She passed away on March 13 while undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka.
Her body was flown back to Magura and buried in her ancestral village after two funeral prayers.
Following the incident, the victim’s mother filed a case on March 8 at Magura Sadar police station under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, accusing rape and attempted murder.
On April 13, the investigation officer submitted a charge sheet against four accused. The case was transferred to the tribunal on April 17, and trial proceedings began on April 23.
The verdict was delivered 73 days after the incident, following a 37-day investigation and 25 days of court proceedings.
