The appeal and death reference hearing for two individuals convicted of raping and murdering a seven-year-old girl in the Pallabi area of Mirpur, Dhaka, has been listed in the High Court’s cause list. The convicted individuals are Sohel Rana and Swapna Akter.
The case has been placed at serial number 22 in the cause list of the High Court bench comprising Justice Bishmadev Chakraborty and Justice K M Rashiduzzaman Raja for Sunday, August 16.
According to the case record, the child’s father lived with his family in a rented flat in the Pallabi police station area while working at a private office in Banani. The convicted pair, Sohel Rana and Swapna Akter, lived in another flat in the same building. The child was a second-grade student at a local school.
On May 19, the child was raped and then murdered. After the killing, Sohel Rana cut the window grill and fled. Police were alerted through the national emergency service 999 and took Swapna into custody. Sohel Rana was later arrested from outside the Fatullah police station in Narayanganj district.
The child’s father filed a case at the Pallabi police station. On May 21, Sohel Rana gave a confessional statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Both accused were then sent to jail.
On May 25, the investigating officer, Pallabi police station Sub-Inspector Ohiduzzaman, filed a charge sheet against Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akter. The case was transferred to the tribunal the same day.
Formal trial began on June 1 when charges were framed against both accused. On June 2, 16 prosecution witnesses testified, completing the evidence phase in a single day. On June 3, the accused were examined under Section 342 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
On June 7, Dhaka Metropolitan Child Violence Prevention Tribunal Judge Masrur Salekin pronounced the verdict.
The tribunal sentenced both convicted individuals to death by hanging. Under Section 374 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the death sentence requires confirmation by the High Court Division before it can be carried out.
Sohel Rana was also fined 500,000 taka and Swapna Akter 200,000 taka. The fine amounts were ordered to be paid to the child’s legal heirs. If the fines are not paid, the court directed the collectorate office to attach and sell the convicts’ movable and immovable property to recover the amounts.
The verdict was delivered 19 days after the murder. The death reference documents were subsequently forwarded to the High Court, and both convicts filed jail appeals.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report