HC acquits 5 death row convicts in a Netrokona rape case

The High Court today acquitted all five persons, who were sentenced to death by a lower court in Netrokona in a case filed for abduction and gang rape of a teenage girl in 2002, as the allegations brought against them were not proven beyond reasonable doubt.

The HC bench of Justice SM Emdadul Hoque and Justice Bhishmadev Chakraborty delivered the verdict after hearing the appeals of the convicted accused and the death reference (lower court documents) of the case.

The HC acquitted the five accused on the grounds that there was no evidence of rape in the medical report and there were inconsistencies in the statements made by the victim and her witnesses, Deputy Attorney General Md Mozammal Haque Rana told The Daily Star.

The DAG, however, said the government will move an appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court challenging the HC verdict.

On July 20, 2002, the teenage girl was abducted and gang raped in Kalikabar village under Durgapur upazila in Netrokona while she was on her way to a relative's house, according to the case documents.

The district and sessions judge's court of Netrokona on February 25, 2015 sentenced five persons to death in connection with the case, and imposed fine of Tk 25,000 on each.

The convicted accused are Shamim, Vikon Rongdi, Tikon Rongdi, Tapash Shema and Rup Miah of Netrokona's Purbadhala upazila. Among them, Rup Miah is absconding.

Lawyers Fazlul Hoque Khan Farid, AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon, Bazlur Rahman and few others appeared for the accused.