Magura child rape-murder: High Court upholds Hitu Sheikh’s death sentence

The High Court has upheld the death sentence of Hitu Sheikh in the widely discussed case involving the rape and murder of a child in Magura. A High Court bench comprising Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty and Justice KM Rasheduzzaman Raja delivered the verdict today, Monday.

The court delivered the verdict after accepting the accused’s death reference (approval of the death sentence), dismissing his appeal and disposing of his jail appeal. Hitu Sheikh is the father-in-law of the sister of the eight-year-old girl who was raped.

Earlier, on 10 June, the chief justice constituted the specific High Court bench to hear death references, appeals and miscellaneous matters under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act on a priority basis. The bench began its proceedings on 14 June.

The hearing of the widely discussed Magura child rape and murder case began before the priority bench on 11 August. The state began presenting the case from the paperbook (case records) on that day.

The hearing continued on 23 and 24 August. After three days of hearings, the court on 25 August fixed today, Monday for delivering its verdict.

Attorney General Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal, Deputy Attorney General Mohammad Imam Hossain Tareq and Syed Ejaz Karim represented the state in court. State-appointed defence lawyer Hafizur Rahman Khan represented the accused.

In early March last year, the child had gone to visit her elder sister’s in-laws’ home. On 6 March, at around 11:30 am, she was taken unconscious to Magura 250-Bed Hospital.

Seven days later, on 13 March, she died while undergoing treatment at the Combined Military Hospital in Dhaka.

On 8 March, the child’s mother filed a case at Magura Sadar police station under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, accusing the perpetrator of rape and attempted murder.

Investigation officer and Inspector (Investigation) of Magura Sadar police station Md Alauddin submitted the charge sheet to the court on 13 April last year.

The case was subsequently transferred from the Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court to the tribunal on 17 April, and the tribunal accepted the charge sheet on 20 April.

The trial proceedings began with the framing of charges on 23 April. Counting from the day of the incident on 6 March last year, the trial court delivered its verdict within 73 days.

The Magura Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal delivered its verdict in the widely discussed child rape and murder case on 17 May last year. The tribunal sentenced Hitu Sheikh to death and acquitted the other three accused.

The trial court’s verdict and all relevant case documents reached the High Court’s Death Reference Section on 21 May last year for approval of Hitu Sheikh’s death sentence, and the matter was registered as a death reference.

Meanwhile, Hitu Sheikh appealed to the High Court against the trial court’s verdict on 25 June last year. Following a hearing on the admissibility of the appeal, the High Court admitted it for hearing on 1 July. The court also stayed the fine imposed on him by the trial court.

Today, Monday’s verdict disposed of the death reference (approval of the death sentence), appeal and jail appeal filed by the accused.