10-truck arms case: Babar acquitted, Paresh Barua gets life imprisonment

Former home minister Lutfozzaman Babar, who was awarded death sentence in a case filed over the smuggling of 10-truck arms seized in Chattogram, and five others have been acquitted.

Besides, the High Court on Wednesday commuted the death sentence of another six accused in the case to 10 years imprisonment.

The court also commuted the death sentence of Paresh Barua, military commander of India’s separatist organisation ULFA (The United Liberation Front of Asom), to 10 years imprisonment.

The HC bench of justice Mustafa Zaman Islam and justice Nasreen Akter pronounced the verdict after hearing the death reference and the appeal of the accused today.

The 10 trucks of arms were seized at CUFL ghat of Chattogram port on 1 April 2004.

Two cases were filed in this connection under the arms act and special powers act at Karnaphuli police station in Chattogram.

Chattogram sessions judge court and special tribunal-1 passed the verdict in the case on 30 January 2014.

The trial court awarded death sentence to 14 people, including former industries minister and Jamaat-e-Islami amir Matiur Rahman Nizami (executed in another case), Lutfozzaman Babar, Paresh Barua and heads of two intelligence agencies, in the case.

The accused were sentenced to life imprisonment in another case filed under the arms act.

Following the trial court’s verdict, the case docket and the verdict reached to High Court’s death reference section. This was registered as a death reference case.

On the other hand, the convited filed an appeal with the High Court against the verdict in 2014.