Rifat murder: verdict of juvenile accused to be pronounced on Tuesday
The verdict of the 14 juveniles accused in the murder case of Shahnawaz Rifat (Rifat Sharif) in Barguna will be announced on Tuesday (Today).
After completion of the argument on October 15, Barguna District Children's Court Judge Hafizur Rahman announced the date for the verdict. Before announcing the date, the court accepted the testimony of 74 out of 76 witnesses in the charge sheet.
Public Prosecutor of the Children's Court Mostafizur Rahman claimed that he was able to prove the case against the accused and demanded maximum punishment for the accused. On the other hand, the accused's lawyer Md. Shahjahan claimed that his clients were innocent. They will be acquitted by the court.
On January 8 this year, the juvenile court judge Hafizur Rahman framed charges against 14 juvenile accused.
On the morning of June 26 last year, terrorists hacked Rifat Sharif in front of Barguna Government College in front of his wife Minni and seriously injured him. He died that afternoon after being taken to Barisal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital.
On June 27, the day after the murder, Rifat's father Abdul Halim Dulal Sharif filed a case against Barguna.
Investigating officer Mohammad Humayun Kabir submitted two separate charge sheets on September 1 in the court against 24 people, 10 adults including deceased’s wife Ayesha Akhtar Minni and 14 minors. Nayan Bond, the main accused in the Rifat murder case, was dropped from the charge sheet as on July 2 after he was killed in an alleged gunfight with police.
On last September 30, Barguna District and Sessions Judge Ashaduzzaman sentenced 6 accused including Minni to death and acquitted 4 others.
The 14 juvenile accused are- Rashidul Hasan Rishan Faraji, Md. Rakibul Hasan Rifat Hawladar, Md. Abu Abdullah Raihan, Md. Oliullah Oli, Joy Chandra Sarkar Chandan, Md. Naim, Md. Tanvir Hossain, Nazmul Hasan, Rakibul Hasan Niyamat, Md. Syed Maruf Billah, Maruf Mallick, Prince Mollah, Ratul Sikder Joy and Aryan Hossain Shravan.
Eight of the accused are out on bail and the other six are in jail. Six of the 14 juvenile accused have given confessional statements in court.