HC lifts stay on murder case after 28yrs
The High Court today lifted a stay order on the trial of a case filed over killing a woman in front of Viqarunnisa Noon School in Dhaka’s Bailey Road 28 years ago.
It also cleared the way for the lower court to resume the trial proceedings of the case and directed the trial court to finish the proceedings in three months.
The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman ordered Police Bureau of Investigation to complete further probe in two months.
The court also directed its registrar general to prepare a list of the criminal cases which has been stayed by this court until 2010.
It directed Registrar General Md Golam Rabbani to submit the list before the chief justice within three weeks for taking necessary decision in this regard.
However, the HC expressed confusion about punishment of a mugger who allegedly killed Sagira Morshed as 28 years have been passed after the HC’s stay order.
“Allah knows what will be the result of the murder case after so many years,” the HC said adding: “Even the state could not ensure justice for the victim”.
The case was filed over killing Sagira Morshed Salam, mother of a class II student of Viqarunnisa Noon School, in 1989.
Recently, intelligence agency informed the status of the killing case to the attorney general office. Then the AG took an initiative for hearing the case.
Today, the HC after hearing the case scrapped the rule and lifted the stay order.
THE CASE BACKGROUND
According to the case statement, Sagira Morshed Salam went to Viqarunnisa Noon School in the capital’s Bailey Road to take her daughter Farahat Chowdhury, 8, a class two student, in 1989.
The mugger shot her to death for taking a golden wristlet in front of the school. Her husband Abdus Salam Chowdhury filed the case with Ramna Police Station the same day.
Police submitted the charge sheet to the lower court concerned against a Minto alias Mantoo alias Moron. The charge sheet was placed on January 17, 1991 and the court also recorded statements of seven witnesses.
No one was arrested after the killing incident took place.
During the trial proceedings, name of one Maruf Reza came into light when the trial court was recording statement of one of the witnesses.
Then the lower court on May 23, 1991 directed police to further investigate into the case.
Later, Maruf Reza, a relative of former Home Minister Mahmudul Hasan, filed a revision petition with the HC challenging the lower court order for further investigation.
The HC on July 2, 1991 stayed the trial proceedings of the case and its further probe.
The HC also issued a rule asking the government why the lower court for further investigation should not be scrapped.