5 to die for gang-raping madrasa girl
A Tangail court yesterday sentenced five people to death for gang-raping a madrasa student in 2012.
Khaleda Yasmin, judge of Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Tangail, passed the order and also fined the convicts Tk 1 lakh each.
The convicts are Sagar Chandra Sheel, Sujon Moni Rishi, Rajan Chandra, Sanjit Chandra Moni Rishi and Gopi Chandra Sheel of Charaljani and Golabari village in the district's Madhupur upazila.
Of the convicts, Sanjit and Gopi were in the dock during the pronouncement of the verdict. The other three have been on the run since they obtained bail in the case from higher court.
AKM Nasimul Akter, public prosecutor (PP) of Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Tangail, told The Daily Star that the verdict was given under Section 9(3)/30 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.
As the allegations were proved by the witnesses and evidence, the court gave capital punishment to the all five accused, he said.
Quoting the case statement, the PP also said that the victim and Sagar have known each other through mobile conversation since 2012.
Sagar took the girl to Elenga by a CNG-run three-wheeler when she reached in Shaldair area on her way to the madrasa on January 15 the same year. He later took her to the house of Rajan, his friend and another accused in the case, at Charaljani in Madhupur on the same day.
Sagar, by the four other accused, pressurised her for marrying him. The girl, however, refused as Sagar was a Hindu man.
Then Sagar raped the girl at the house the same night.
They later took the girl beside the Bonshi river at night on January 17 and Sagar and two others raped her again. They later left her there in unconscious state.
In the morning (January 18), the girl, with the help of locals, went to Madhupur Bus Stand and informed the matter to her brother over phone. Later, her family members went there and took her to the house.
The girl filed a case against the five people with Bhuapur Police Station on the same day.
Police arrested Sujon Chandra Moni Rishi, one of the accused, the same day and Sujon gave confessional statement to the court under Section 164 the next day (January 19).
Later the four other accused were also arrested.
After investigation, police submitted a charge sheet against the five. Later, the trial of the case started with framing charges against the accused on October 29.
The PP expressed his satisfaction over the verdict saying that the victim got justice.
On the other hand, Golam Mostofa, one of the lawyers of the accused, said they were not satisfied over the verdict and they would appeal to the higher court against it.
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