Prof Taher murder trial stayed due to date error
Trial of Prof S Taher Ahmed murder case has been stayed due to error in gazette notification.
Six persons including Rajshahi University teacher Mia Mohammad Mohiuddin and Islami Chhatra Shibir leader Mahbubul Alam Salehi are accused in the case.
The Court of District and Sessions Judge in Rajshahi that ordered the stay on Sunday said the stay would continue until the government corrects the mistakes regarding essential dates in the gazette notification.
The government in the gazette notification recently opted for holding trial of the case by Rajshahi Speedy Trial Tribunal.
Accordingly, as the case was shifted to the tribunal on September 19, the tribunal refused to accept it citing errors about some dates in the gazette notification and returned the case documents to the the District and Sessions Judge's Court.
The judge's court sent the case documents to the concerned ministry for correction. Sunday was the scheduled date of the case. As the government could not produce the corrected gazette notification before the court till Sunday, the court issued the stay order, said court officials.
Prosecution lawyers said the date complexity might delay the trial for an indefinite period while the accused are trying to influence the case.
“We are worried as an influential accused [in the case] is enjoying bail and there was pressure for saving Shibir leader Salehi,” said a lawyer seeking anonymity.
The case was transferred it to the district judge's court on August 20.
Prof Taher, a senior teacher of geology and mining department, was killed on February 1, 2006 and police recovered his body from a sewer behind his house on RU campus on February 3.
According to the prosecution, Prof Mia Muhammad Mohiuddin of the same department, and former RU Shibir president Mahbubul Alam Salehi masterminded the killing of Taher, promising hired killers with computers and jobs.
Three killer suspects Jahangir, Salam and Nazmul in judicial confessional statements confirmed Mohiuddin and Salehi's involvement. Azimuddin Munshi is another accused in the case.
Mohiuddin allegedly masterminded the murder apprehending damage to his teaching career by Prof Taher who allegedly detected plagiarism and piracy in 10 out of 11 research papers that Mohiuddin submitted with his prayer for promotion, investigation officials told courts.
Prof Mohiuddin and Azimuddin were enjoying bail from the High Court.
At least 29 witnesses out of over 60 have provided their accounts since the trial of the case began in the Public Safety Tribunal on July 3. The charges were also framed at the same court on June 18. Police submitted charge sheet of the case on March 18.
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