State plea for stay on acquittal of 4 turned down

The Supreme Court yesterday cleared the way for four accused, who got acquitted by the High Court of the sensational Biswajit murder case, to walk out of jail.

Chamber judge of the Appellate Division of the SC Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain dropped from its hearing list three petitions filed by the government seeking stay on the acquittal of the four accused.

The SC chamber judge's order means that there is no legal bar for the four acquitted accused to get released from jail, Additional Attorney General Momtaz Uddin Fakir told The Daily Star. 

Among the four, Md Saiful Islam and Qayum Mia Tipu were sentenced to death and Golam Mostafa and AHM Kibria were sentenced to life imprisonment by the trial court, he said, adding that the HC has acquitted them of the charges.

Additional AG Momtaz, however, said the government will move a leave to appeal petition before the apex court against HC order of acquittal. 

Bishwajit Das, a tailor shop employee, was hacked to death in broad daylight in Dhakaon December 9, 2012.

On August 6 this year, the HC delivered the verdict.

In the verdict, it upheld death sentences of two BCL men, commuted that of four to life term imprisonment and acquitted two others. All of the eight were handed down capital punishments by a lower court on December 18, 2013. On November 1, the HC released the full text of judgement.