The verdict of the sensational Rifat Sharif murder case in Barguna will be announced on today (Wednesday,September 30).
Mustafa Quader, one of the lawyers for the accused told Barta24.com that the verdict of the case would be announced by 10 am today.
The accused in the case are- Rakibul Hasan alias Rifat Faraji (23), Al Qayyum alias Rabbi Akon (21), Mohaiminul Islam Sifat (19), Rezwan Ali Khan Hridoy alias Tiktak Hridoy (22), Md. Hasan (19), Md. Musa (22), Ayesha Siddique Minni (19), Rafiul Islam Rabbi (20), Md. Sagar (19) and Kamrul Hasan Saimun (21).
On September 18, Barguna District and Sessions Judge Ashaduzzaman announced this date of the verdict.
According to court sources, after taking the testimony of 76 prosecution witnesses against 10 adult accused in the Rifat murder case, the court accepted the defense testimony on behalf of one accused. The concerned lawyers then presented arguments in the court for and against all the accused. The court set the date for the verdict after Rifat's wife Ayesha Siddique Minni accepting the arguments in favor of her acquittal on September 16.
Rifat was killed in front of Barguna Government College on June 26 last year. Later on September 1, 24 people were charged both adults and minors; the police reported to the court in two parts. Of these, 10 adults and 14 minors have been charged. The adult accused in the case charge sheeted Musa is still at large and Ayesha Siddique Minni is currently out on bail in the custody of her lawyer.
Later on January 1 this year, the Barguna District and Sessions Judge's Court framed charges against 10 adult accused in the Rifat murder case. The court then started taking evidence against 10 adult accused from January 8. A total of 76 prosecution witnesses have testified in the case. Besides, the remaining 14 are being tried separately in the Barguna Juvenile Court as they are minors.
Meanwhile, Minni's lawyer Mahbubul Bari Aslam told reporters that the arguments for and against 10 adult accused including Minni have ended. We have already presented arguments in court to prove Minni's innocence.
He added that the argument was over. However, the bail of Minni, who is out on bail, has also expired by the order of the high court. So when Minni applied to the court for bail again in my custody, the judge granted her bail in my custody.
Rifat's father Abdul Halim Dulal Sharif said, "I have confidence in the court." Hopefully I will get justice for killing my son. "I hope that the mastermind of this incident is my son's ex-wife Ayesha Siddique Minni will be given highest punishment," he added.