Cross-examination of Shehzi ends

Cross-examination of Shahzreh Haq Shehzi, fourth prosecution witness in the Shazneen rape case and sister of the victim, by lawyers of three of the six accused was completed yesterday.

The three accused -- Shahidul Islam alias Shahid, Badal and Shaniram -- were in the dock during the cross-examination.

After the cross-examination for about one and a half hours, Kazi Rahamat Ullah, Judge of the Second Special Tribunal for Prevention of Women and Children Repression, Dhaka adjourned the hearing till noon today.

During the cross-examination, Shehzi told the court that investigation officers (IOs) recorded her statements in Shazneen murder case and Sahzneen rape case on May 2 and October 5 respectively in 1998.

Shahid was taken to the place of occurrence on April 28 and September 27, 1998 for "demonstration" Shehzi told the court.

Replying to a question by the defence lawyers in the rape case, Shehzi said she told the IO during investigation that Shahid had fled the spot with the help of Shaniram.

Shehzi said guard Humayun's duty ended at 8.00 pm on the night of the incident but he did not leave the house. It was learnt later that Humayun took a chisel from Shaniram, which was used to hit Shazneen, she said.

Shehzi also told the court that she had noticed two strange things. First, all the security lights around the house were off, and second, 10 to 12 people including carpenter Shaniram were lying nearby as if they were asleep despite so much of noise around.

Shazneen Tasnim Rahman, 15, youngest daughter of Latifur Rahman, Chairman of Transcom, was raped and murdered at their Gulshan residence on April 23, 1998.

Latifur Rahman filed a murder case with Gulshan police station on April 24, 1998 accusing Shahid, a domestic help at his house.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) of CID, Mojibur Rahman, filed a rape case with the same police station accusing Shahid, Hasan, Badal, Shaniram, Minu, Parvin and Humayun (now dead) after six months' investigation into the Shazneen murder case.

The three other accused -- Hasan, Minu and Parvin--were also at the dock. All the six are now in jail.

Special public prosecutors (PPs) Afran Uddin Khan and Saima Khanam and Assistant PP Anisur Rahman appeared for the state while advocates Mohammad Hanif, M A Kamrul Hasan Khan Aslam, Mizanur Rahman, Anwarul Kabir Babul and Abdus Salam Bhuiyan appeared for the accused.