The High Court yesterday acquitted three condemned accused and commuted seven others' death sentence to life-term imprisonment in the sensational Dhaka City Corporation ward commissioner Saidur Rahman Newton murder case.
The HC also acquitted three more accused who had earlier been sentenced to life in the same case.
A trial court in 2006, sentenced 10 accused to death and six others to life imprisonment after a lengthy hearing of Newton killing case.
Newton, the then commissioner of DCC ward No-8 (Mirpur), was gunned down by a gang near Rapa Plaza in the capital's Dhanmondi area on May 10, 2002. His mother Rabeya Begum filed a murder case with Dhanmondi Police Station the same day.
The convicts who were yesterday awarded life term are Mohammad Khorshed, Shahdat Hossain alias Shahdat, Monir Hossain alias Kiran, Kala Jahangir, Kazi Mohammad Ismail, Towfiq Alam Khan alias Pial, Sadequl Islam Chowdhury alias Sagor, Mohammad Ayub, Sheikh Russell alias Baltu Russell and Rubel Hossain Howlader.
Only three of the convicted -- Ayub, Russell and Rubel -- are now in custody.
Most of the convicts are accused in numerous criminal cases including murder.
The accused acquitted are Shakhawat Hossain, Killer Abbas, Zakir Hossain, Kamal Hossain, Ibrahim Khalil and Nazmul Hossain alias Benga Babu. They are now in jail.
Deputy Attorney General Bhishmadev Chakraborty told The Daily Star that the HC acquitted the six accused as the allegations brought against them were not proved beyond doubt.
The HC bench of Justice Md Fazlur Rahman and Justice Bhabani Prasad Singha yesterday delivered the verdict after holding hearing for eight working days on the death reference and appeals filed by the accused against their convictions.
Newton's widow Ferdousi Ahmed Mishty told The Daily Star that she is upset with the verdict and that life will be at stake if killers are acquitted.
Mishty, now a DCC ward commissioner, is sister of former BNP lawmaker Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu, who is detained in jail in connection with Pilkhana headquarter carnage in 2009. She said her husband was also the assistant general secretary of BNP's youth front Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal.
On May 24, 2006, the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 in Dhaka had awarded capital punishment to Khorshed, Shahadat, Kiran, Kala Jahangir, Abbas, Ibrahim, Ismail, Pial, Sagor and Zakir in connection with Newton murder case.
The tribunal had awarded Ayub, Russell, Rubel, Shawkat, Benga Babu and Kamal life term imprisonment and acquitted Ripon Khan and Raqibul Bari as the charges brought against them were not proved.
Source : The Daily Star
