Two rapists get life

A court here yesterday awarded imprisonment for life to two men on rape charge. Judge of Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-2 SM Zillur Rahman gave the verdict and also fined them Tk 20,000 each. If unpaid, they will have to stay in jail for three more years.

The convicted are Jewel Sikder, 30, son of Rahman Sikder, and Haider Sheikh, son of late Majon Ali Sheikh of Lahuri village in Indurkani upazila.

Court sources said Jewel stopped a Class VI student while she was going to a local high school and forcibly took her to a nearby garden where he raped her on July 8, 2010.

Victim's father filed a case with Indurkani Police Station on August 1, accusing Jewel and two or three unnamed people, after photos of the incident were circulated via mobile phone.

Police arrested Jewel soon after filing of the case. He confessed that he raped the girl and Haider took photos of the incident on his mobile phone. Police arrested Haider following  information given by Jewel.

Jewel went into hiding after getting bail from the High Court, while Haider was present in the court when the verdict was pronounced.