Court Correspondent :
The Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-7 of Dhaka yesterday fixed October 12 to pronounce the verdict in a case lodged on charge of raping two private university students in the Hotel Raintree of Banani in the capital in 2017.
Judge Mosammat Kamrunnahar of the tribunal set the date yesterday as both the prosecution and defence concluded their arguments in the case on Sunday.
The tribunal also canceled the bail of five accused in the case and sent them to jail. They are- Safat Ahmed, Naim Ashraf, Sadman Sakif, Safat’s bodyguard Rahmat Ali and driver Billal Hossain.
Of the 47 witnesses, 22 testified in the case and they were later cross-examined by the defence lawyers.
The crime was allegedly committed by Shafat Ahmed, son of Apan Jewelers owner Dildar Ahmed, and his friends Naim Ashraf and Sadman Sakif. They invited the two girls in the hotel for joining a birthday party on March 28, 2017. Bringing the two girls in the hotel the accused people raped them and filmed.
Later, a victim filed the case on May 6, 2017, with Banani Police Station accusing five including Shafat Ahmed. The victim girls accused Shafat, Naim of locking up them in a room and raping them overnight.
However, besides, Shafat and his friend Naim Ashraf alias HM Halim, other accused people were on bail.
Investigation officer Inspector Ismat Ara Emmy on June 7, 2017, submitted the charge-sheet in the court against five accused in the case.
The tribunal on June 19, 2017, accepted the charge-sheet and on July 13,
2017, framed charges against the accused.
