Rape at MC College: court defers hearing date for witnesses’ deposition

A Sylhet court today deferred the date for hearing witnesses' depositions in a case filed over the gang-rape of a woman at Murari Chand (MC) College hostel on September 25 last year.

Sylhet Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Md Mohitul Haque passed the order as no witnesses were present at the court, our Sylhet correspondent reports.

The court set January 27 to record the statements of the witnesses, said Rashida Syda Khanom, public prosecutor of the tribunal.

Meanwhile, the plaintiff's lawyer filed a petition to continue the trial proceedings in another case filed for snatching valuables during the incident on September 25.

However, the court rejected the petition, the prosecutor said.

Earlier on January 17, this tribunal framed charges against all eight accused Chhatra League activists and set January 24 (today) to start the trial with recording testimonies of witnesses. There are 52 witnesses in the case.

According to the charge sheet, the victim and her husband were forcibly taken to the hostel by the accused when the couple went to visit the college area on the evening of September 25.

The accused are Saifur Rahman, 28, Shah Mahbubur Rahman Rony, 25, Tarekul Islam, 28, Arjun Laskar, 26, Mohammad Ainuddin alias Ainul, 26, and Misbaul Islam Rajon, 27, Rabiul Hasan, 25, and Mahfuzur Rahman Masum, 25.

All accused are now in jail.