Rifat Murder: Minni appeals to the HC
Ayesha Siddika Minni yesterday submitted an appeal with the High Court challenging her conviction and death sentence by a Barguna court over the murder of her husband Rifat Sharif.
Her lawyer Makkia Fatema Islam told The Daily Star that she filed the 18-page appeal on behalf of Minni along with more than 400 pages of documents, seeking her client's acquittal in the case.
ZI Khan Panna, principal counsel for the convict, said the trial court convicted and sentenced Minni based on her confessional statement made under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and CCTV footage.
"We will prove that Ayesha Siddika Minni is completely innocent when the High Court hears our appeal," he said.
He said, "The High Court will now fix a date for the hearing on the admission of the appeal. Later, we will move a petition before the court seeking her bail."
Panna could not say when the HC would hold the hearing.
Both the lawyers said they heard that the other five death-row convicts in the case filed separate appeals with the HC, challenging the Barguna court's verdict.
Contacted, Supreme Court Spokesperson Saifur Rahman told this correspondent that he did not know whether the convicts in the Rifat murder case moved to the HC.
On September 30, the Barguna court sentenced Minni and the five others to death.
The other condemned convicts are Rakibul Hasan alias Rifat Farazi, Abdul Kaiyum alias Rabbi Akon, Mohaiminul Islam Sifat, Rezwanul Khan alias TikTok Ridoy and Md Hasan. They were also fined Tk 50,000 each.
The court, however, acquitted four other accused -- Rafiul Islam Rabbi, Mohammad Sagor, Kamrul Islam Saimum and Md Musa -- as they were found innocent.
Documents in the sensational murder case reached the HC on October 4 as a death reference to examine the trial court verdict.
Officials of the Barguna court brought the documents of the case, including the judgment, to the HC, its special officer Saifur Rahman told this paper on that day.
He said the HC authorities would now take necessary measures following relevant rules.
Rifat, 25, an internet service provider, was hacked by some youths, led by prime accused Nayon Bond, in front of Barguna Government College in broad daylight on June 26 last year. He died at Barishal Medical College Hospital later that day.
A video clip of the barbaric attack, believed to be captured on a mobile phone, went viral on social media triggering public outrage, with many condemning bystanders for not coming forward to save Rifat.
The following day, the victim's father filed the murder case with Barguna Sadar Police Station, naming 12 as accused.
Minni was first named as a witness. She was, however, made an accused in the charge-sheet later.
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