Magura child rape, murder: death reference reaches HC for examination

The death reference of  Magura's eight-year-old child rape and murder case has reached the High Court to examine the verdict that sentenced one person to death.

Officials of the Magura court concerned brought the documents of the case, including the judgment, to the HC yesterday, a Supreme Court official told The Daily Star today.

If a lower court sentences any person to death in a case, its judgment is examined by the HC through hearing arguments for confirmation of the death sentence.

The case documents and judgment reach the HC as death reference from the lower court after the latter delivers the verdict as per relevant provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

A Magura tribunal on May 17 sentenced the prime accused, Hitu Sheikh, to death for the brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl.

Hitu's wife Jaheda Begum, 38, and his sons -- Ratul Sheikh, 18, and Sajib Sheikh, 20, -- were acquitted from the charges as allegations brought against them could not be proven.

Judge M Zahid Hasan of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Magura pronounced the verdict.

The verdict came in 70 days, after the case was filed on March 8, and the trial was completed in 11 working days, according to the prosecution.

The death row convict, Hitu, 44, is the father-in-law of the victim's sister, while Sajib is the victim's brother-in-law.

According to the case documents, the child on March 1 this year went to visit her elder sister's house in Nijnanduali Mathpara area of Magura Sadar. She was raped there in the early hours of March 6.

On the same day, she was taken to the Magura 250-bed District Hospital in a critical condition and later transferred to Faridpur Medical College Hospital.

From Faridpur, she was taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in an unconscious state on that day and put on life support the next night.

When her condition deteriorated, the child was transferred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dhaka on March 8. She died at the CMH on March 13.

On March 8, her mother filed a case with Magura Sadar Police Station under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, accusing Hitu, Jaheda, Sajib and Ratul.