Pallabi child rape and murder: Court begins reading verdict

A court has begun reading out the verdict in the case over the rape and brutal murder of an eight-year-old child in capital’s Pallabi area.

Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Children Violence Suppression Tribunal entered the courtroom at 11:00 am today, Sunday, and subsequently began reading out the verdict.

Earlier in the morning, the accused were brought from jail in a prison van and kept in the lockup of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court.

The prime accused in the case, Sohel Rana, was escorted out of the prison van under police security at 8:50 am, while the other accused, Swapna Akhter, was brought down at 8:30 am, before both were placed in the lockup.

Previously, the closing arguments from both the prosecution and the defence concluded on Thursday. Following the arguments, the court set 7 June as the date for delivering the verdict. The child was raped and murdered on 19 May. Now, the verdict is being delivered today, just 19 days after the incident.

On Thursday, the prosecution counsel argued that the accused, Sohel Rana, was guilty and demanded the maximum penalty for him under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.

Citing that the other accused, Sapna Akhter, had abetted Sohel Rana's crime and failed to intervene, the lawyer also demanded legal punishment for her. Furthermore, the counsel read out the testimonies of the child’s mother and father in court.

On the day of the incident (19 May), before the child’s dismembered body was recovered from a flat on a building in Pallabi, the resident of the flat, accused Sohel, had already escaped by breaking the toilet window grill.

Sohel’s wife, Sapna Akhter, was detained from the apartment at that time. Later that evening, Sohel Rana was arrested from Fatullah in Narayanganj. The child's father filed a case with Pallabi Police Station regarding the incident.

On 20 May, the accused, Sohel Rana and Sapna Akhter, gave confessional statements in the court of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Aminul Islam Junaid. On 1 June, the tribunal framed charges against Sohel Rana and Swapna Akhter, ordering the commencement of the trial.

Following the framing of charges, recording of testimonies, statements by the accused in self-defence, and closing arguments, the court fixed the date for the verdict.

Public Prosecutor Azizur Rahman Dulu told Prothom Alo, “In accordance with the law, we have sought the maximum punishment for the accused in this case. The tribunal will deliver its verdict based on its own discretion.”

Note: In accordance with the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act and Prothom Alo’s editorial policy, the names and identities of the child victim and her parents have not been disclosed in this report.