SC upholds Minni’s bail, no bar to release

The Appellate Division on Monday upheld the High Court bail for Ayesha Siddika Minni in a case over the murder of her husband Rifat Sharif and paved the way for her release from jail, reports UNB.

The bench of Supreme Court judge Hasan Foyez Siddique passed the order dismissing a government plea challenging the HC order.

Minni’s lawyer ZI Khan Panna told the media that now there is no legal bar to releasing Minni from jail.

Earlier on Sunday, Sufia Khatun, advocate-on-record for the attorney general’s office, submitted the petition to the Appellate Division seeking stay on her bail order.

On 29 August, the HC granted bail to Minni on condition of staying in her father’s custody and refraining from talking to media.

Meanwhile, police in Barguna on Sunday pressed charges against 24 people, including Minni, in the murder case.

Inspector HumayunKabir of Sadar police station, also the investigation officer of the case, submitted a 614-page charge-sheet before the senior judicial magistrate Md Sirajul Islam Gazi, said court inspector Abdul Quddus.

Although there were 12 names in the First Information Report (FIR), the charge-sheet was submitted against 24 people.

Of the accused, 14 are teenagers and a separate supplementary charge-sheet was filed against them.

On 26 June, Rifat Sharif, 22, was attacked with sharp weapons near the main gate of Barguna Government College. Minni appeared to be trying to protect him during the attack in a CCTV footage released and got viral on social media at the time.

Main accused Sabbir Ahmed alias Nayan Bond was killed in a reported gunfight with law enforcers on 2 July.

Police arrested Minni on 16 July over the murder of her husband and was denied bail several times. She reportedly confessed to her involvement in the murder before the court on 19 July two days after her arrest.

On 31 July, Minni filed a petition with a Barguna court seeking withdrawal of her confessional statement over the murder.