Youth to die for killing minor girl after rape in Rangpur

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RANGPUR, Dec 1, 2020 (BSS) – A court here today sentenced a youth to death for killing a minor schoolgirl, aged 8, after rape in village Ramnathpur of Pirganj upazila of the district four years ago.

Judge of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-3 of Rangpur, Mostafa Pavel Raihan handed down the verdict in his courtroom in presence of the convict.

The court also fined the convict Taka one lakh and acquitted another accused woman in the case as the charges brought against her were not proved.

The prosecution said the convict is Riyadh Prodhan, 24, son of Momin Prodhan of Ramnathpur village.

The victim was Tanjila Khatun Chumki, 8, daughter of day-labourer Shajahan Ali of the village. She was a student of class one of local Duramithipur Government Primary School.

Before the verdict was announced, a 46-page copy of the verdict was displayed on a projector screen outside the judge’s courtroom where an overflowing crowd of curious people were present.

Additional Public Prosecutor of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-3 of Rangpur Advocate Mafzia Hasan Dibamani told reporters that the victim was playing in a garden in the village on June 14, 2016 in the afternoon.

At that time, Riyadh Prodhan tactfully took the child to his house and forcibly raped her.

When the child screamed at that time, rapist Riyadh suffocated her to death.

Later, with the help of their housemaid Dholi Begum, 50, Riyadh filled the body in a cement bag and buried it in a hole dug in his bedroom.

Three days later on June 17, 2016, Pirganj Thana police recovered Chumki’s body, arrested Riyadh and a case filed in this connection with Pirganj police station.

Although Dholi Begum fled after the incident, police later arrested her from Dhaka.

After investigating into the case, its Investigating Officer Sub-inspector Nazir Hossain of Pirganj police station submitted charge sheets against Riyadh and Dholi before the court on December 12, 2016.

After examining witnesses of the case, the court found Riyadh guilty beyond any doubt and pronounced capital punishment against him today.

Advocate Mafzia Hasan Dibamani expressed satisfaction over the verdict and demanded speedy execution of the death sentence.

Senior lawyer Advocate Kazi Mahfuzul Islam defended the accused side and said that there was an opportunity to appeal to the higher court after receiving a full copy of the verdict.