Sinha Murder Case: Accused send testimonies to court

Fourteen accused in the Sinha murder case, including former OC Pradeep Kumar Das and inspector Liaqat Ali, yesterday submitted written statements in self-defence before a Cox's Bazar court pleading not guilty.

The other accused, former sub-inspector Nanda Dulal Rakkhit, would submit his statement today, Rana Dasgupta, lawyer for Pradeep, told reporters.

The 15 accused were present at the court of District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Ismail yesterday, the first day of the ninth-phrase trial of the case.

Upon completion of recording depositions of prosecution witnesses in Maj (retd) Sinha Rashed Khan murder case, the court on December 1 fixed December 6 to 8 for recording statements of the accused.

A total of 65 prosecution witnesses have given their depositions before the District and Sessions Judge's Court in eight phases since August 23 when the court began the case's formal trial through recording testimony of Sinha's sister and complainant of the case Sharmin Shahriar Ferdous.

According to the charge sheet, 83 people are witnesses to the incident. But the prosecution now says testimonies of 65 witnesses are enough.

So, the prosecution filed a petition with the court citing that testimonies of the remaining prosecution witnesses are not necessary, said Public Prosecutor Faridul Alam.

After completion of recording testimonies of defence witnesses, the prosecution and defence counsellors will place the closing arguments before the court, he said.

On June 27, the court framed charges against the 15 accused. Of them, 12 are police personnel, including former officer-in-charge of Teknaf Police Station Pradeep, police inspector Liaqat Ali, sub-inspector Md Shahjahan, and assistant sub-inspector Liton Mia, who were all suspended from their posts.

Sinha, 36, had been making travel documentaries for a YouTube channel called "Just Go". He was returning to Cox's Bazar from Teknaf.

He was killed in a police firing at a checkpoint of Armed Police Battalion (APBn) at Teknaf's Shamlapur area on July 31 last year.

Police claimed that they tried to search the vehicle, and Sinha aimed his pistol at them, prompting them to shoot back in self-defence. They also claimed that they seized drugs from the vehicle.

On August 5, Sinha's elder sister Sharmin filed the murder case.