N’ganj seven-murder : HC starts delivering verdict on 26 death reference
The High Court on Tuesday started delivering its verdict on the death reference of 26 convicts in the sensational seven murders that took place in the river port city of Narayanganj in 2014.
A large contingent of police was deployed at the entrance of the courtroom.
The deliberation of the verdict would be continued until recess at 2:00pm.
Earlier, the High Court was scheduled to deliver the verdict on August 13, but it changed the date for delivering the verdict on the death references and appeals of 26 death-row convicts in two cases filed over Narayanganj seven-murder and fixed today (Tuesday) for verdict.
A bench of Justice Bhabani Prasad Singha and Justice Mustafa Zaman Islam rescheduled the verdict delivery citing no reason.
On July 26, on completion of hearings spread over 33 working days, the same bench had set August 13 for giving the verdict.
The death sentence recipients include local Awami League leader Noor Hossain, the then Rapid Action Battalion commanding officer in Narayanganj Lieutenant Colonel Tarek Sayeed Mohammad and RAB officers Major Arif Hossain and Lieutenant Commander Masud Rana.
On January 16, a trial court in Narayanganj handed death sentence to 26 offenders, including 16 RAB members, and various jail terms to nine other RAB men, finding them guilty of murdering local AL leader and Narayanganj City Corporation ward councilor Nazrul Islam, lawyer Chandan Kumar Sarkar and five others.
The trial court also found them guilty of hatching the conspiracy to abduct, murder and dumping the bodies of the seven victims in the River Sitalakkhya to destroy the evidence of their crimes.
According to the trial court verdict, Nazrul and his four associates were abducted by two RAB teams, one led by Major Arif and the other by commander Rana from near Narayanganj court premises around 1:40pm on April 27, 2014.
Later, the RAB men abducted Chandan Kumar Sarkar and his driver as he had protested against what he thought the arrest of Nazrul and his associates.
The victims’ bodies were found afloat in the River Sitalakhya on April 30, 2014.
News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net
