Ramisa Murder Case: Convicts Sohail, Swapna Produced in Court Ahead of Verdict
Photo: Agamir Somoy
The verdict in the case of child Ramisa Akhtar's rape and murder in the capital's Pallabi area is scheduled to be delivered today. The two accused — Sohail Rana and Swapna Akhtar — have been produced beofre the court concerned from jail.
Swapna Akhtar was brought from Kashimpur Jail around 8:25 AM on Sunday, while Sohail Rana arrived from Keraniganj Central Jail at around 8:45 AM. They have been placed in the lockup of the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court and will be brought to the dock before the verdict is announced.
Police recovered Ramisa's body from the flat of her neighbors — Sohail Rana and his wife Swapna Akhtar — in Pallabi on May 19. The same day, Ramisa's father filed a case against the couple at Pallabi Police Station. Both were arrested shortly after the incident.
On May 20, Sohail Rana confessed to his crime in a statement before the court. On May 24, the investigating officer and sub-inspector of Pallabi Police Station, Ahiduzzaman, submitted a charge sheet against the two accused. Metropolitan Magistrate Ashraful Haque accepted the charge sheet the same day and sent the case to the Child Violence Suppression Tribunal. The tribunal then took cognizance of the charge sheet and ordered the trial to begin.
After the Eid holiday, the trial commenced on June 1 with framing of charges. The following day, testimony from 16 witnesses — including Ramisa's parents and sister — was recorded in just four hours.
On June 3, during the defense statement, Sohail Rana admitted his guilt and pleaded for forgiveness from the court. Swapna Akhtar, however, claimed she was innocent. After final arguments were presented on June 4, the court set June 7 for delivery of the verdict.
Commenting on the case, Dr. Sarkar Ali Akkas, a professor of law at Jagannath University, said: "The swiftness of the post-verdict processes must also be ensured. Steps need to be taken not only in this case but in all cases to guarantee justice within a reasonable timeframe."
