HC splits over death sentence for 7

A two-judge High Court bench yesterday delivered a split verdict over a lower court judgment that sentenced seven persons to death in a case filed for killing six members of a family in Narsingdi in 2007.
Senior judge of the bench Justice Shahidul Islam turned down the lower court verdict while junior judge of the bench Justice Abdur Rob upheld it. The HC judges delivered the verdict after hearing the appeals filed by the condemned convicts.
Advocate Khabir Uddin Bhuiyan, a defence lawyer, told The Daily Star that the judges will now send the case records along with their verdicts to the chief justice who will send those to another HC bench for its final disposal.   
Additional District and Sessions Judge AKM Abul Kashem of Narsingdi on March 17, 2008 gave the death sentence to Akhtaruzzaman Biru, Dhud Miah, Sharif Bhuiyan, Shahid Mia, Fazlul Haq, Swapan Mia and Jahangir for the killing.
According to the prosecution, Raisuddin, 52, his wife Salma Begum, 48, their son Rajib, 22, and daughters Yuona, 28, Swarna, 26, and adopted daughter Urmi, 8, were killed at their house at Bhelanagar in Narsingdi town on the night of May 17, 2007. The criminals slit the throats of  Yuona and Swarna after rape and strangled four others.
Citing the case statement, Khabir Uddin Bhuiyan said the miscreants went to the house of Raisuddin for looting, as they had information that the family had a cash of Tk 10 lakh.
He said the miscreants entered the house by cutting its grilles and killed them with iron rods and sharp weapons. As the decomposed bodies started spreading stench, locals informed police of the matter five days after the gruesome murder. Police later recovered the bodies.
Raisuddin's younger brother Shahjahan Bhuiyan alias Ratan filed the murder case with Narsingdi Sadar Police Station.