Youth's death in DB custody: AC Akram acquitted

An appeals court led by the Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha also upheld the life imprisonment of Sub-Inspector Hayatul Islam Thakur in the case. The apex court delivered the verdict on Tuesday dismissing the government's appeal against Akram's acquittal and Hayatul's appeal against his conviction. The High Court in 2011 acquitted Akram and 12 others of the murder charge in the death of  Shahin Reza Rubel, a student of Independent University, and upheld the life imprisonment for  SI Hayatul. A DB team led by the then SI Hayatul Islam picked up Rubel on July 23, 1998 under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) from in front of his Siddheswari residence. The victim died of torture in police custody. Rubel’s father Abdur Rob Miah filed a murder case with Ramna police station against 14 accused, including, the then AC Akram Hussain and Roksana Begum alias Mukuli Begum, a neighbour of Rubel, on the following day. A Dhaka Court on June 17, 2002, sentenced 13 of accused including Akram and Hayatul to life term rigorous imprisonment and Mukuli Begum to one year in prison in the case. Following separate appeals filed by the accused, the High Court on May 5, 2011 acquitted Akram and 11 others including Mukuli Begum of the murder charge, saying that the allegations brought against them were not proved beyond reasonable doubt. The court upheld life term of Hayatul Islam in the case.