HC to deliver verdict on June 2 in Sinha murder case

  Bangla Press Desk: The High Court on Thursday set June 2 for delivering its verdict in the death reference and appeals of former Teknaf police station officer-in-charge Pradeep Kumar Das and Baharchhara police outpost inspector Md Liyakat Ali, who were sentenced to death for the 2020 murder of retired army major Sinha Md Rashed Khan in Cox’s Bazar. The bench of Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman and Justice Md Sagir Hossain also scheduled verdict on the appeals of six others who received life sentences from the trial court—then sub-inspector Nanda Dulal Rakshit, constables Rubel Sharma and Sagar Dev, and three local residents: Nurul Amin, Nizam Uddin, and Ayas Uddin.   The High Court began hearing the death reference and appeals on April 23. Major Sinha, who had taken early retirement from the Bangladesh Army in 2018 to pursue a career in documentary filmmaking, was shot dead by police at a checkpoint on the Cox’s Bazar–Teknaf Marine Drive on July 31, 2020, while returning from a filming trip with his cameraman Shahidul Islam Sefat. On January 31, 2022, the Cox’s Bazar District and Sessions Judge’s Court sentenced Pradeep and Liyakat to death, finding that the killing was premeditated. The two police officers had initially claimed Sinha died in a shootout—an account later proven false during the investigation. Attorney general Md Asaduzzaman and deputy attorney general Jashim Uddin Sarker argued for upholding the lower verdict while senior lawyers Md Munsurul Hoque Chowdhury and SM Shajahan appearing for Pradeep and Liakat respectively sought to reduce their sentences from death to life. Source: NE [Bangla Press is a global platform for free thought. It provides impartial news, analysis, and commentary for independent-minded individuals. Our goal is to bring about positive change, which is more important today than ever before.] BP/ZE