MC College gang rape
HC orders trial of 2 cases in one court
Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Sunday directed the concerned authorities to hold the trial activities of two cases filed on charges of gang rape of a woman and snatching her valuables at Murari Chand College (MC College) in Sylhet in September last year in one court.
Currently, two separate courts of Sylhet, Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal and District and Sessions Judge’s Court, are holding trials of the cases. But following the HC order, now the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal will hold the trial of the both cases.
The police commissioner in Sylhet has been directed to ensure the safety of the plaintiffs of the case, witnesses and lawyers of the plaintiffs. The court also asked to appoint a lawyer for the accused who does not have a lawyer.
The HC Bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came up with the order after holding hearing on a petition filed by victim’s husband seeking transfer of the cases to one court from two separate courts.
Advocate Sabrina Zarin and Barrister Abdul Qaium Liton appeared before the court on behalf of the petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappy represented the State.
Advocate Sabrina Zarin told the HC that if two separate courts hold the trials of the cases arising from the same first information report (FIR), the trials will not be fair.
She also said police have arrested informant of the case (husband of the victim) on February 6 as he could not appear before a trial court for giving statement for one day and that police are threatening his family and lawyer in Sylhet.
After hearing, the HC Bench disposed of the petition saying that only Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Sylhet will hold the trials of the both cases of the sensational case.
Barrister Abdul Qaium said, “Police submitted two charge sheets in the incident of the MC College, one for rape and one for snatching the valuables of the victim, with two separate courts in Sylhet. Later, when the trial of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal started, we appealed for holding the trial of the two cases together.”
“But on January 24, our appeal was rejected by the judge of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal. Then we move to the HC,” added the lawyer.
On the night of September 25 in 2020, a group of BCL activists, some of them current and former students of the college, raped a woman after tying up her husband.
Later that night, the victim’s husband filed a case accusing six named and two-three unnamed persons. So far, police have detained seven persons, including four named in the case.
On December 3 last year, Inspector Indranil Bhattacharya of Shah Poran Police Station in Sylhet submitted charge sheet against eight accused the case.
Six people were charged with rape of the woman while two others were accused of assisting them.
The rape accused are— Saifur Rahman, 28, Shah Mahbubur Rahman Rony, 25, Tarekul Islam, 28, Arjun Laskar, 26, Mohammad Ainuddin Ainul, 26, and Misbaul Islam Rajon, 27.
Rabiul Hasan, 25, and Mahfuzur Rahman Masum, 25, are the two other accused. All the eight are now behind the bars.
The High Court on Sunday directed the concerned authorities to hold the trial activities of two cases filed on charges of gang rape of a woman and snatching her valuables at Murari Chand College (MC College) in Sylhet in September last year in one court.
Currently, two separate courts of Sylhet, Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal and District and Sessions Judge’s Court, are holding trials of the cases. But following the HC order, now the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal will hold the trial of the both cases.
The police commissioner in Sylhet has been directed to ensure the safety of the plaintiffs of the case, witnesses and lawyers of the plaintiffs. The court also asked to appoint a lawyer for the accused who does not have a lawyer.
The HC Bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman came up with the order after holding hearing on a petition filed by victim’s husband seeking transfer of the cases to one court from two separate courts.
Advocate Sabrina Zarin and Barrister Abdul Qaium Liton appeared before the court on behalf of the petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Sarwar Hossain Bappy represented the State.
Advocate Sabrina Zarin told the HC that if two separate courts hold the trials of the cases arising from the same first information report (FIR), the trials will not be fair.
She also said police have arrested informant of the case (husband of the victim) on February 6 as he could not appear before a trial court for giving statement for one day and that police are threatening his family and lawyer in Sylhet.
After hearing, the HC Bench disposed of the petition saying that only Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal in Sylhet will hold the trials of the both cases of the sensational case.
Barrister Abdul Qaium said, “Police submitted two charge sheets in the incident of the MC College, one for rape and one for snatching the valuables of the victim, with two separate courts in Sylhet. Later, when the trial of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal started, we appealed for holding the trial of the two cases together.”
“But on January 24, our appeal was rejected by the judge of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal. Then we move to the HC,” added the lawyer.
On the night of September 25 in 2020, a group of BCL activists, some of them current and former students of the college, raped a woman after tying up her husband.
Later that night, the victim’s husband filed a case accusing six named and two-three unnamed persons. So far, police have detained seven persons, including four named in the case.
On December 3 last year, Inspector Indranil Bhattacharya of Shah Poran Police Station in Sylhet submitted charge sheet against eight accused the case.
Six people were charged with rape of the woman while two others were accused of assisting them.
The rape accused are— Saifur Rahman, 28, Shah Mahbubur Rahman Rony, 25, Tarekul Islam, 28, Arjun Laskar, 26, Mohammad Ainuddin Ainul, 26, and Misbaul Islam Rajon, 27.
Rabiul Hasan, 25, and Mahfuzur Rahman Masum, 25, are the two other accused. All the eight are now behind the bars.
