DHAKA, Jan 28, 2020 (BSS) – The High Court (HC) today upheld death
sentences of eight in a case filed over rape and subsequently murder of
schoolgirl Sriti Nath Sima in Lakshmipur in 2012.
The court also commuted death sentences of another two, convicted by
lower court concerned, to life imprisonment.
A High Court division bench comprising Justice Bhabani Prasad Singha and
Justice Md Kamrul Hossain Mollah passed the order after hearing jail appeals
and death reference in the case.
The convicts, whose death sentences were upheld by the High Court, are-
Hiron, Manik, Rashed, Sumon, Hedayet Ullah Hedu, Nur Nobi, Saddam Hossain
alias Rubel and Nur Alam alias Nuru. Of these, Manik, Rashed, Sumon and Rubel
are yet to be arrested.
The High Court commuted death sentences of Anwar Hossain and Sohel to
life imprisonment.
According to the case documents, Sima, 13, used to live with her
grandparents in village Bosudohita under Chandraganj union in the district.
On July 18, 2012, a group of armed dacoits raided their house and hacked her
grandfather Krishna Lal Debnath, grandmother Gita Rani and aunt Minoti Bala.
Dacoits raped Sima before looting the house. As the dacoits left, locals
rushed them to hospital, where Sima breathed her last on the same night.
The next day Krishna Lal Debnath filed the case against 14-15
unidentified people with Lakshmipur Sadar Police Station.
Lakshmipur District and Sessions Judge Court on September 16, 2014,
sentenced 10 people to death and fined them Taka one lakh each. Later the
convicts filed appeals and the death reference too came to High Court for
hearing.