Aritri suicide case: Verdict against 2 Viqarunnisa teachers on Feb 8

A Dhaka court has deferred to February 8 the verdict in a case lodged against two former teachers of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College for allegedly instigating one of their students Aritri Adhikary to commit suicide.

Today (January 21) was fixed for pronouncing the judgement of the case but the verdict was not ready for the delivery today, prompting Judge Abdullah Al Mamun of Dhaka 12th Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court to set the new date for the announcement of the verdict.

The two accused are — former acting principal of the school Nazneen Ferdous and morning shift in-charge of the school’s Bailey Road branch Zinat Akhtar. They have been suspended by the institution after filing the case.

Earlier on November 27 last year, the court set January 21 to pronounce the verdict after the end of prosecution and defence arguments.

Dhaka 3rd Additional Metropolitan Sessions Judge Court on July 10, 2019, framed charges against the two teachers, initiating the trial officially.

Earlier on April 30, 2019, Dhaka metropolitan magistrate Sadbir Yasir Ahsan Chowdhury accepted the charge sheet filed in the case.

The court also allowed the investigation officer’s plea to drop the name of Aritri’s class teacher Hasna Hena from the case as allegations brought against her were not found true in the probe.

Police on March 28, 2019, filed the charge sheet against the then acting principal of Viqarunnisa Noon School and College Nazneen Ferdous and morning shift in-charge of the school’s Bailey Road branch Zinat Akhtar.

Investigation officer inspector Qazi Qamrul Islam of Detective Branch of police submitted the charge sheet.

Aritri was found hanging from a ceiling fan of her residence in the capital’s Shantinagar area on December 3, 2018, hours after she and her parents were allegedly insulted by the teachers. She was rushed to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Aritri’s father Dilip Adhikary on December 4, 2018, filed the case with the Paltan police station against the three teachers.