Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Monday fixed today (Tuesday) for hearing on a bail petition filed by Aysha Siddika Minni, wife of Rifat Sharif killed in broad daylight in Barguna town in a case filed over her husband’s murder.
The HC Bench of Justice Sheikh Md Zakir Hossain and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman fixed the date after considering a time prayer placed by Deputy Attorney General Md Rezaul Karim, a Counselor of the State.
Earlier on Monday, the bail petition was filed on behalf of Minni with the High Court through her lawyer.
Advocate Z I Khan Panna, a lawyer of Minni, submitted the bail petition in the court. Then the Deputy Attorney General prayed for time and the court fixed today for hearing.
Citing from the petition, Advocate Z I Khan Panna said, “Minni is a woman and she is sick and therefore, she deserves bail in the case.”
Z I Khan said, “Minni was the key eye witness of Rifat murder case. But she has been made an accused in the case.”
Earlier, a Barguna court rejected Minni’s bail petition twice on July 22 and 30 respectively.
On July 19, Aysha Siddika Minni confessed in a Barguna court to her involvement in the murder, police official said.
Senior Judicial Magistrate Sirajul Islam Gazi of Barguna recorded her confessional statement Under Section 164, Inspector Humayun Kabir, who is investigating the case, told the reporters.
After recording Minni’s statement for three hours, the court sent her in jail, the Inspector said.
But, Minni’s father, Mozammel Hossain Kishore, alleged that his daughter gave confessional statement under pressure. Fifteen suspects, including the victim’s widow Minni, have been arrested so far in the case.
Earlier, police arrested Minni on July 16 after a daylong interrogation and produced her in the court for remand the following day.
No lawyer represented Minni during the remand hearing in the court.
Minni is the key witness to the murder of her husband that took place in front of Barguna Government College on June 26.
But the discussion took a new turn when Minni’s father-in-law recently alleged in a press conference that his daughter-in-law might be involved in killing of his son, Rifat Sharif. In reply to this allegation, Minni said, her father-in-law raised false allegation by inspiration of conspirators.
Rifat Sharif, a 25-year-old internet service provider, was indiscriminately hacked by a group of youths there.
In a video footage of the incident that went viral in the social media, Minni was seen screaming and trying in vain to save her husband from the assailants.
The victim’s father filed a murder case with Barguna Sadar Police Station against 12 people on the same day.
The prime accused in the case, Nayon Bond, was killed in a “gunfight” with police on July 2.
