Pallabi child rape and murder: Accused Sohel Rana and wife appear in court

Sohel Rana, the prime suspect in the case involving the brutal rape and murder of an eight-year-old child in the capital's Pallabi area, along with his wife Swapna have been produced in court from prison.

They were brought to the court premises in a prison van at approximately 7:45 am today, Monday. Sohel Rana is currently being held in the lock-up of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, while his wife, Swapna, has been placed in the female lock-up.

A hearing on the framing of charges is scheduled to take place today at the Dhaka Metropolitan Children Violence Suppression Tribunal in the presence of the accused.

Ripon Molla, the officer-in-charge of the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court, confirmed the details to Prothom Alo. He stated that the accused have been taken to the lock-up and will be presented before the court once instructions are received.

The child’s dismembered remains were recovered from a second-floor flat on a building in Pallabi at around 11:30 am on 19 May.

Following the incident, the primary accused, Sohel Rana, escaped by breaking the window grille of the flat's toilet. However, his wife was apprehended at the scene. Sohel Rana was later arrested that evening in Fatullah, Narayanganj.

The day after the incident, the child's father filed a case at Pallabi Police Station. On the afternoon of 20 May, Sohel Rana gave a statement before the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Aminul Islam Junaid. In his statement, he confessed to raping and subsequently murdering the child.