Accused claim 'innocence'

All the five accused in the case for rape and murder of law student Rupa Khatun on a moving bus in Madhupur upazila under the district on August 25 yesterday claimed themselves innocent.

They made the claim while they were examined by the court of Abul Mansur Miah, acting judge of Tangail Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal, under Section 342 of the Penal Code.

Earlier, the court told the accused about all the proceedings of the case that been held previously and asked them whether they are guilty or innocent.

Then the court asked the accused whether they will give any safai sakkhi (defence witness) and they denied.  

The court fixed January 31 for argument in the case.

Earlier, recording of depositions of 27 prosecution witnesses of the case was completed on January 21, said advocate Ataur Rahman Azad, district unit general secretary of Bangladesh Manobadhikar Bastobayon Sangstha, which is providing assistance to the state side in the case.

Police on August 25 recovered Rupa's body near Tangail-Mymensingh road in Tangail's Madhupur upazila.

The law enforcers arrested five employees of a bus -- helpers Shamim, 26, Akram, 35, and Jahangir, 20, driver Habibur, 45, and bus supervisor Safar Ali, 55, from Madhupur in this connection on August 28.

Senior judicial magistrate's courts in Tangail on August 29 and 30 recorded their confessional statements under Section 164 and sent them to jail.