Verdict in 20 days: A timeline of Ramisa rape-murder case
Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Tribunal for the Prevention of Violence Against Children delivered the verdict in the presence of the accused today (7 June).
The verdict in the case filed over the rape and murder of child Ramisa Akter in Pallabi, Dhaka, has been delivered, with a Dhaka tribunal sentencing accused Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akter to death.
Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Tribunal for the Prevention of Violence Against Children delivered the verdict in the presence of the accused today (7 June).
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In what has become a historic example of swift investigation and trial, the verdict was delivered only 20 days after the incident. The investigating officer took just five days to complete the investigation.
Following the incident on 19 May, he submitted a charge sheet to the court on 24 May, accusing Sohel Rana and his wife, Swapna Khatun.
The formal trial began on 1 June. The proceedings were completed within four working days, and the verdict is being delivered today on the fifth working day.
A chronology of the case from the brutal murder to the verdict is outlined below:
19 May
Ramisa, a second-grader of Mirpur Popular Model High School, went missing in the morning.
During a search, her shoes were found outside the flat of neighbour Sohel Rana, a tenant in the same building.
After breaking open the door, police recovered Ramisa's decapitated body inside the flat and her severed head from a bathroom bucket.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Sohel lured Ramisa into his flat, raped and murdered her, and then dismembered the body in an attempt to destroy evidence.
Swapna was arrested at the scene. Later, after a manhunt, police arrested Sohel in Fatullah, Narayanganj.
20 May
The following day, Ramisa's father, Abdul Hannan Mollah, filed a case with Pallabi Police Station, naming Sohel, his wife Swapna, and one or two unidentified persons as accused.
Sohel and Swapna were produced in the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Dhaka.
During the hearing, Sohel gave a voluntary confessional statement. Following the statement, both Sohel and Swapna were sent to jail.
24 May
The investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Wahiduzzaman of Pallabi Police Station, submitted the charge sheet to the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Dhaka just five days after the incident, accusing Sohel and his wife Swapna.
Sohel was charged with rape, murder, and destruction of evidence, while Swapna was charged with destruction of evidence and providing false information.
On the same day, the case was transferred to the Dhaka Metropolitan Tribunal for the Prevention of Violence Against Children trial.
Judge Masrur Salekin took cognisance of the charge sheet and fixed 1 June for the hearing on charge framing.
1 June
Judge Masrur Salekin formally framed charges against the accused and ordered the commencement of the trial.
2 June
Testimonies from a total of 16 witnesses were recorded in a single day, including Ramisa's father, mother, sister, eyewitnesses, witnesses to the inquest report, doctors, a magistrate, and the investigating officer.
3 June
The accused were given an opportunity to present their defence.
Main accused Sohel sought pardon from the court while claiming his innocence. His wife and co-accused, Swapna Akter, also denied the charges, claiming she had done nothing wrong.
4 June
Final arguments from both the prosecution and defence were heard.
The prosecution sought the death penalty, while the defence pleaded for life imprisonment.
7 June
After completing all legal procedures in record time, the tribunal fixed 7 June for the verdict, concluding the trial of this sensational and heinous murder case within four days and just 19 days after the crime.
At around 8:25am, accused Swapna Khatun was brought from Kashimpur Central Jail to the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court premises.
Around 8:45am, main accused Sohel was brought from Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj.
They were subsequently kept in the court's holding cell.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened around the court premises ahead of the verdict.
Additional police personnel have been deployed, and surveillance has been increased in and around the tribunal area.
Journalists from various media outlets began gathering at the court premises from early morning.
The verdict has generated significant interest among lawyers, litigants, and the general public, with many curious onlookers seen throughout the court complex.
The complainant and victim's father, Abdul Hannan Molla, arrived at the court premises at around 10:30am. Several members of the family were also present.
Prosecutor Azizur Rahman Dulu and state-appointed defence counsel Musa Kalimullah, along with other lawyers involved in the case, were also present at the court ahead of the verdict.
At 11am, the Dhaka Metropolitan Tribunal for the Prevention of Violence Against Children began reading out the verdict.
Around 11:40am, the Dhaka tribunal pronounced the death penalty for the accused Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akter.
Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Tribunal for the Prevention of Violence Against Children delivered the verdict in the presence of the accused.
Additionally, Sohel was fined Tk5 lakh and Swapna Tk2 lakh.
