Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Wednesday directed the trial court to finish within three months the trial proceedings of the much-discussed 32-year old murder case which was filed for killing Seema Mohammadi in Dhaka.
The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order on a Suo Muto move after a Supreme Court lawyer, Ishrat Hasan, brought the newspaper reports of the delay of the trial proceedings to the attention of the judges for necessary directives on the issue.
After read out the newspaper reports, the presiding judge of the bench, Enayetur Rahim, expressed his anger and said, “No one obeys our instructions. Besides, many concerned people don’t take our instructions easily. We also gave instructions on the abuse of women and children.”
The judge said, “Didn’t we (court) have any responsibility to see over it. The law has provisions to take action against witnesses.”
The court asked authority concerned to take departmental action against the tribunal judge if it does not finish the trial of the case in three months and submit the compliance report.
Recently a Bangla newspaper published a report in this regard saying that the trial of Seema murder has been pending for 32 years as the autopsy doctor was not testifying.
The report also said, Seema Mohammadi, 20, was reportedly stabbed to death by Mohammad Ahmed alias Amin, at her residence on the Jagannath Saha Road in Dhaka on April 26, 1988, as she did not agree to marry him.
The following day, Seema’s mother Ijhar Mohammadi filed a murder case with the police station concerned against Amin.
The murder case has reportedly been pending with Jana Nirapatta Bighnokari Aporadh Daman Tribunal (Public Safety Violation Offence Prevention Tribunal) of Dhaka for the last 32 years.
The tribunal could not finish the trial proceedings of the case as Dr Md Anwar Hossain, the doctor who conducted the post mortem of Seema, did not appear before the tribunal for giving his statement, although the court has directed him to do so for several times.
Dr Anwar Hossain is now working at a private medical university after retirement, according to the news report.
Advocate Ishrat Hasan told the reporters that Seema’s mother Ijhar Mohammadi has died and she could not see the punishment of her daughter’s killer.
Accused killer Mohammad Ahmed is now on the run after he securing bail in the case, Ishrat added.
The published report said, “The tribunal has deferred the date of the case 112 times for receiving testimony from the doctor. 11 judges have been changed so far in the tribunal and the government of the country has been changed for 10 times in the mean time.”
