State Seeks Death Penalty in Ramisa Murder Case
Collected Photo
In a case involving the rape and murder of child Ramisa Akhtar in Pallabi, the prosecution has demanded the death penalty for accused Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akhtar during closing arguments.
Today Thursday, the hearing was held before Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Children’s Violence Suppression Tribunal, after which the court set Sunday as the date for delivering the verdict.
Both accused, Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akhtar, were produced in the dock from prison as the hearing began around 11:45 a.m. in their presence.
Special Public Prosecutor Azizur Rahman Dulu, representing the state, argued that witness testimonies proved that Sohel Rana took the child into a bathroom, raped her, and then slit her throat before fleeing after cutting through a grill. He added that Swapna Akhtar assisted in the crime. The prosecution stated that the testimonies of 16 witnesses established their guilt and sought the highest punishment which is death penalty.
On the other hand, court-appointed defense lawyer Musa Kalamullah argued that the charges were based mainly on statements and that the murder weapon had not been forensically examined, claiming this created reasonable doubt. He further stated that the accused had given confessional statements under intoxication and requested life imprisonment instead for Sohel Rana. He also argued that Swapna Akhtar’s involvement was not proven beyond allegations of concealing the body and requested punishment under Section 201 of the Penal Code.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Court Public Prosecutor Omar Faruq Faruqi was also present during the proceedings.
Earlier, on Monday, the court framed charges and ordered the trial to begin. On that day, both accused pleaded not guilty when asked by the judge.
On Tuesday (2 June), the court recorded testimonies from 16 out of 18 witnesses, including the victim’s parents and sister. On Wednesday, during the statement under Section 342 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the judge read out the charges and witness testimonies to the accused. The court then set Thursday for final arguments.
According to the case details, on 19 May at around 9:30 a.m., Ramisa left her home when Sohel Rana allegedly lured her into a room on the third floor of a five-story building. Later, as her mother searched for her around 10:30 a.m., she suspected something after hearing noises from the accused’s room.
Finding no response from inside, the mother called other residents, and upon entering the room, they discovered the child’s beheaded body in the bedroom of Sohel and Swapna, with the severed head placed in a bucket. Swapna was reportedly present at the scene.
The victim’s father filed a case at Pallabi Police Station on the same day. Swapna Akhtar was first arrested, followed by the arrest of the main accused Sohel Rana from Fatullah in Narayanganj.
On 20 May, Sohel Rana gave a confessional statement in court. The following day, Swapna Akhtar was sent to jail. After investigation, the officer-in-charge of Pallabi Police Station submitted the charge sheet on 24 May, accusing both Sohel Rana and his wife.
On the same day, a Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate accepted the charge sheet and transferred the case for trial. The Children’s Violence Suppression Tribunal later took cognizance of the case and set 1 June for the charge-framing hearing.
