The death reference and appeals of two death-row convicts in connection with the rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in the capital’s Pallabi area have been placed on the High Court cause list for a hearing.
The matter was listed as item No. 22 on the cause list of the High Court bench comprising Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty and Justice KM Rasheduzzaman Raja on Sunday.
The convicts are Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Khatun.
According to the case statement, the victim, a second-grade student, resided with her family in a rented apartment under Pallabi Police Station. Her father works at a private firm in Banani. The convicts lived in a separate apartment within the same building.
On May 19, the child was raped and subsequently murdered. Following the incident, the primary accused, Sohel, escaped by cutting the window grills of the room. Upon receiving a call via the national emergency helpline 999, police detained Swapna. Sohel was later arrested from the area in front of Fatullah Police Station in Narayanganj.
The victim’s father lodged a case with Pallabi Police Station. On May 21, Sohel rendered a confessional statement before a court under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). The accused were subsequently remanded in judicial custody.
Sub-Inspector Ahiduzzaman of Pallabi Police Station, the investigating officer of the case, submitted the charge sheet against Sohel and Swapna on May 25. The case was transferred to the tribunal on the same day for trial proceedings.
On June 1, the tribunal formally initiated the trial by framing charges against the two accused. The following day, on June 2, the prosecution presented 16 witnesses, completing the deposition phase in a single day. Statements of the accused were recorded under Section 342 of the CrPC on June 3.
On June 7—19 days after the incident—Judge Masrur Salekin of the Dhaka Metropolitan Prevention of Violence Against Children Tribunal delivered the verdict.
In accordance with Section 368 of the CrPC, the tribunal ordered that the convicts be hanged by the neck until dead, subject to confirmation by the High Court Division under Section 374 of the CrPC.
The tribunal also imposed a fine of Tk5 lakh on Sohel and Tk2 lakh on Swapna, directing that the amounts be paid to the victim’s legal heirs.
The court further ordered the Collectorate Office to attach and auction the movable and immovable properties of the convicts to realize the fine for the victim's legal heirs in the event of non-payment.
The verdict was delivered 19 days after the murder.
Following the lower court judgment, the death reference documents were forwarded to the High Court, after which both convicts filed jail appeals challenging the sentence.