Sifat murder case verdict Feb 27

Staff correspondent: A court in Dhaka has fixed February 27 to pronounce the verdict in a case relating to killing Wahida Sifat, a former student of Rajshahi University.

Judge Syed Ahmed of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-3 of Dhaka fixed the date after hearing arguments from prosecution and defence sides on Sunday.

The accused are— Sifat’s husband Md Asif, father in-law advocate Mohammad Hossain Ramjan, mother in-law Nazmun Nahar Nazli and Dr Jobaidur Rahman of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, who conducted the first autopsy. Among the accused, Asif is in jail.

It is learnt that Wahida Sifat was killed allegedly for dowry at her in-law's house in the city's Mohisbathan area on March 29 in 2015. Besides, Sifat sustained injury marks at different parts of her body.

Mizanur Rahman Khandakar, uncle of Sifat, filed a case with Rajpara police station on April 2, 2015 in this connection.

Senior ASP of CID Ahmed Ali, the investigating officer of the case, submitted a chargesheet against the four accused to the Rajashahi Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court.

IO Ahmed Ali said, after a long investigation, police found that Sifat did not commit suicide rather she succumbed to her injuries.

The name of doctor Jobaidur Rahman was mentioned on the charge sheet as he submitted the first autopsy report mentioning Sifat’s death as a suicidal case, he added.

Later, the case was handed over to the Speedy Trial Tribunal of Dhaka. On November 10 last year, the court ordered to start the trial framing charges against the accused.

Wahida Sifat, 27, a student of Mass Communication and Journalism Department of Rajshahi University, died at her in-law's house in the city's Mohisbathan area on March 29 in 2015.

risingbd/DHAKA/Feb 12, 2017/Mamun Khan/Amirul